Being a Vampire on Probation
by Schnuersenkel
Summary: Anna is a vampire, who accidently broke one of the Volturi's laws. She gets away on probation, with Alec being in charge of her. She isn't exactly thrilled about that fact. Will her feelings towards Alec change over time?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing related to Twilight._

_The story is set after Breaking Dawn. If you haven't read the books, do so before reading this story._

**Stargazer**

I lay on my back on the roof of the famous Volturi Castle and watched the stars in the midnight blue sky above me. I tried to find solace in the peace and quiet surrounding me, but my thoughts always came back to the same fact: Tomorrow would be the day that I would die – a second time.

The first time I died, I was changed into a vampire. I have only been a vampire for three years now. I wished that I could have more time, but from what I had heard the Volturi weren't great in giving second chances. I didn't doubt that tomorrows trial would end with my death and the death of my two covenmates.

Light footsteps on the roof alerted me to the arrival of another vampire. I turned my head and saw a vampire distinctly dressed as a Volturi guard. I sighed. Probably one of the lower guards, who were ordered to watch me and my coven. He had been young, when he was changed. I had been fifteen, the guard looked as if he had been no older than fourteen, when he was bitten. He was heartbreakingly beautiful, even for a vampire. Dark brown hair fell onto his forehead and was long enough to tickle his eyelashes. His features were angelic, except for the bright ruby eyes. The contrast was kind of disturbing. The corners of his full lips were turned down at the moment, while he stared at me disapprovingly.

"What are you doing out here?"

I frowned. What did it look like I was doing? Like so often my mouth answered before my brain could catch up with it. "Oh drat. Now you have foiled my brilliant masterplan: escaping the Volturi through alien abduction!"

To my surprise the vampire chuckled and sat down next to me. "Nice plan. But who knows, since we know for a fact that vampires do exist after all, maybe there are aliens out there, too."

I snorted. "Yeah, but even if there are aliens out there, why should they ever want to come to a crappy place like earth?"

The guard snickered. "I give you that. Now what are you really doing out here? Watching the stars?"

"Yeah," I answered and looked back up to the sky. "Even as a human I loved to come out at night and watch the stars. The air smells different during nighttime, and everything is so peaceful and quiet. I can imagine being alone in the world. It relaxes me."

"Do you want me to leave you alone then?"

I mulled that over. True, I liked being alone, but a distraction from my thoughts about my upcoming death would be nice. "Nah," I answered finally. "You are so small, you don't count." It was true, the boy next to me could not be taller than maybe five foot four.

He grinned at that. "You are one to talk."

Again, this was sadly true. I was about five foot one. If I stretched my back and stood on my toes. I am midget vampire girl. "You know, making fun of people on their last day on earth, or better night, isn't exactly nice."

"Well, you started it. But why are you so sure that this will be your last night? Aro's trials don't always end in death, you know?"

I simply rolled my eyes. "Oh please. The other two in my coven and me were filmed by newsmen in a helicopter, while we were snacking on the victims of a bus that had crashed with a truck. We tried to stay away, but we were really close when it happened, and there was just so much blood. We simply lost it."

The vampire next to me shrugged. "It took some work to make that one disappear, that's true. Aro was livid."

"I figured as much. I have never met Aro, Caius or any other of the Volturi, but from what I have heard, they are not exactly the most forgiving people on earth."

"What do you know about the Volturi?" He asked curiously.

"Not much. I have heard of Aro, Caius and Marcus, of course. I know that they make sure that the humans don't find out about vampires. I know that they have the world's best tracker, Demetri I think is his name, and I have heard of the witch twins, their best offensive weapon. I mean, what vampire hasn't heard of them."

The boy was silent for a few seconds. "When you meet the witch twins tomorrow, don't call them that to their face. They hate the nickname."

I chuckled. "Don't worry. Antagonizing two extremely powerful and sadistic vampires isn't high on my list of 'things to do before I die'." I made air quotation marks to that last part.

"What would be on that list?"

I smiled. "Too many things to be listed in one night. I was fifteen, when I was changed and I have only been a vampire for three years. I spent most of these years trying to get my temper and bloodlust under control. Not much time for experiences."

Ruby eyes stared surprised into mine. "You are only three years old? That might help you tomorrow. The first year while you are still a newborn is the worst, but you don't magically achieve perfect self-control after the first year is over. Aro knows that. If you have a talent that might help even more. Aro hates to waste potential."

"I do have a talent, but I seriously doubt that Aro will be impressed by it," I sighed.

"Well, what is your talent?" He asked, after it became clear that I wouldn't continue talking on my own.

I grinned and motioned to my body. "You are looking at it."

The boy looked me over and frowned. "What do you mean?"

I couldn't suppress a little snicker. "You know, how humans are always attracted to vampires because of their beauty and smell? Well, humans are not attracted to me. Actually they tend to overlook me completely, if I don't do something to draw attention to myself. But even if I do something like, for example talk to someone, they don't remember much about me afterwards. Most of them can't even say, if they had been talking to a girl or a boy, just some kid. Doesn't work on vampires, though. I mean, it's not as if I make vampires stop in their tracks to bask in my otherworldly beauty or anything like that, but they do notice me. Even though I am rather unremarkable to them."

I swallowed. "Makenna, she is the leader of my coven, says that my gift might also work on vampires, when I get older and my talent matures, but so far it only works on humans."

He nodded, deep in thought. "Makenna is probably right. A vampire's mind is more difficult to trick than a human's. It might take some time until you are able to do that. Your talent certainly doesn't work on me so far. I definitely don't think you are unremarkable, I find you quite beautiful actually."

I shot him a disbelieving look. "They don't let you out much, do they? Either that or you haven't been a vampire for long."

I knew that I wasn't anything special in the looks department. I was small with almost no curves. I had practically a boy's body. My shoulder length hair was a boring shade of brown, and my face wasn't ugly, but it wasn't beautiful either. Everything about me screamed average.

He snickered at that. "Actually, I am several centuries old. Because of that I know that there are different kinds of beauty out there. Your beauty isn't flashy, more of a quiet kind, but you are beautiful nonetheless."

"A quiet beauty?" I asked disgusted. "If you start talking about good characters and inner beauty next, I swear, I will spare you all the work and kill myself right now."

That earned me outright laughter. After a while he quieted down and seemed to ponder something. "Have you ever heard of the theory that vampires have talents because of what they were like as a human? It makes me wonder, what kind of person you were to end up with a talent that makes people overlook you."

I grimaced at that. "Well, let's just say that my human life wasn't much fun. My parents were abusive, I was mobbed at school, and all I ever wished for was to be left alone. My talent gives me that. The last three years were the best of my life. I just wish, I could have had more time."

The vampire stood up and looked down at me. "Who knows, maybe you will get your wish. See you tomorrow at the trial."

"You will be there?"

He simply nodded and left. I stared after him. It occurred to me that I hadn't even asked him his name.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing related to Twilight._

_The story is set after Breaking Dawn. If you haven't read the books, do so before reading this story._

**Probation**

As soon as the morning arrived, some guards came to the roof to get me for the trial. The boy from last night wasn't among them. I met Makenna and her mate Charles in front of the huge doors to the Volturi's throne room. We shared one last hug, and then the large doors opened.

We stepped inside and faced the three vampires on their thrones. The one in the middle, who was probably Aro, started talking, but I was too shocked to listen to his words. Next to the thrones on the right stood the boy from the roof. Next to him stood a vampire that looked like the female version of him. Her hair was lighter and her lips even fuller than his, but they still looked remarkably alike. That had to be the infamous witch twins, Alec and Jane.

I groaned internally. I had been talking to and mocking more than once one of the witch twins last night: Alec, who could paralize entire armies of vampires by cutting off all their senses. As if the whole bus incident hadn't been enough to get me a death sentence. I started to feel slightly sick while staring disbelievingly at him. He returned my gaze and winked.

I snapped my gaze and attention back to Aro, who was holding Makenna's hand, reading her thoughts. After some time he let her hand go and sighed. "Makenna, your coven's actions created some great difficulties for the vampire world. You and your mate are both more than one hundred years old. If you don't have control over your bloodlust now, it makes me wonder if you ever will. A situation like the bus incident cannot be allowed to happen again. Do you understand?"

Makenna swallowed and nodded. She gave me one quick look, hope in her eyes. "But Anna here has only been a vampire for three years."

Aro tilted his head to the side. "Yes, that is still very young for a vampire. It would have been your and your mate's responsibility to ensure that she doesn't lose control."

Makenna smiled. I stared at her. Why did she smile? Something had just passed between the two that I didn't get. Aro looked at Alec. "Alec, if you would be so kind?"

A few moments later I felt like I was drowning in some kind of thick mist. All feeling left my body, and I wondered if they were already tearing me apart. The minutes passed and I couldn't help asking myself, what would happen when I finally died. Would I just stop thinking? Would there be something afterwards?

After some time I could feel my senses returning to my body. I realized that I lay crumbled on the marble floor of the throne room and quickly stood up. Makenna and Charles were gone. I faced Aro. "Where are my coven mates?"

"Their sentence has already been carried out. They are dead." There was no feeling in Aro's voice.

I swayed slightly, grief and hatred toward the Volturi leaders overwhelming me. I pushed all thoughts of my two friends away, I had to be strong right now. "Why am I still alive?"

"Since you are still so young, we are inclined to give you a second chance. You will be given to one of my guards. Once he decides that you have your bloodlust fully under control you will be allowed to leave Volterra and go your own way. But until then you will have to stay here and do as he tells you."

I blinked slowly, not quite believing what I was hearing. I was glad that the Volturi didn't want to kill me, but the whole 'giving me to one of the guards' sounded kind of creepy. I swallowed. "Which guard?"

Aro smiled. "I think, I will give you to Alec here. He has excellent control over his bloodlust. He will be more than able to help you to control yours." He turned to Alec. "Would that be alright with you? Will you take responsibility for the young vampire?"

Alec's face didn't show any emotion. "Certainly, master."

Aro clapped in his hands happily. "Well then, this matter is settled. Anna, please follow Alec to his room. He can answer any questions you might have."

Alec left the room and I followed him after one quick look to his twin sister, who seemed to be as stunned as I was.

Alec's room was beautifully and expensively decorated. It showed the high rank he had among the Volturi. I sat down on a couch and stared him straight in the eyes. "This is a bit much of a coincidence. Did you ask Aro to do this?"

Alec's face still didn't show any emotion. "And if I did?"

I swallowed. "I don't think that I like the fact that I have been given to you like some kind of present."

Alec shrugged. "Would you rather be dead?"

I looked down. "That depends. Aro said that I have to do everything you ask me to. What exactly are you going to ask of me?"

Alec narrowed his eyes. "I am not going to molest you, if that's what you are afraid of. I know that my reputation among vampires isn't the best, and there are certainly reasons for that, but I am not some sex crazed pervert."

I laughed weakly at that. I hadn't thought of him as some kind of sex offender. Remorseless sadistic killer was more along the lines. "Well, getting a bit tortured for fun isn't something I am looking forward to, either."

"I swear that I am not going to molest or torture you. Satisfied?" Alec's voice was as sharp as broken glass.

I looked him straight in the eyes again. "So, I do what you say, you help me control my bloodlust, and as soon as you decide that I am not an exposure risk anymore I am free to go?"

"That's what Aro said."

I nodded slowly. "Alright. I can live with that." The whole deal sounded now like nothing but work for Alec. I failed to see, why he decided to do it. From what I had heard the fate of one young unimportant vampire wasn't something he normally cared about. I decided to ask. "Why did you do it? You barely know me, and the whole deal seems to be nothing but work for you."

Alec grinned. "I don't think that it will be so bad. I like your sense of humor and I was getting kind of bored, so I decided to talk to Aro."

I didn't quite know, how to react to that. The idea that I served as some kind of weird amusement to an old and bored teenage vampire didn't exactly make me jump with joy. But whatever his motivations, he was probably the only reason I was still alive. "Thank you for saving me," I said finally.

Alec waved my words away. "Forget it. You were close to Makenna and Charles, right?"

I nodded. The pain in my chest increased exponentially, while I thought of them. "Makenna made me a vampire. I have been with them for the last three years. They were good to me." I curled up on the coach, hugging myself.

Alec kneeled in front of me and tugged some loose strands of my hair back behind my ear. "I will give you some time to grieve now. I will be back later."

I closed my eyes and let my sorrow surround me. Some part of my brain registered Alec's return a few hours later, but he didn't try to talk to me. I remembered all the good times I had with Makenna and Charles, and I remembered the smile Makenna gave Aro when she understood that he would let me survive. She had been happy for me, even though she knew that she and her mate wouldn't get the same chance.

That thought brought me out of my misery. She wouldn't want me to wallow in my pain, and I knew that Charles wouldn't want that either. I had always been closer to Makenna, but I knew that Charles had liked me, too. They both would want me to make the most of the opportunity that had been given to me. Therefore I would do my best to get my bloodlust under control, so that I could leave Volterra and do all the things I hadn't had a chance of doing so far.

I sat up straight and looked over to Alec, who was silently reading in a book. "Alright. What's first on your to-do-list to get my bloodlust under control?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing related to Twilight._

_The story is set after Breaking Dawn. If you haven't read the books, do so before reading this story._

**Shopping**

The next day started with a vampire named Heidi coming back from one of her hunting trips. Alec wanted to see how good my self-control was and told me not to bite anyone until he allowed me to. I stood in the room with the other vampires waiting for Heidi to bring the humans in, being so tense that I barely registered the faces surrounding me.

The minute the humans were ushered into the room, and the doors were closed behind them, I tensed even more. Screaming started, and the scent of blood began to waft through the air. I stopped breathing. Venom pooled in my mouth and I had trouble concentrating. I looked around and saw Alec drinking from some middle aged female, watching me. I knew that my eyes were practically begging right now, but Alec still didn't say a word. Some frightened human male stumbled right in front of me and exposed his neck while falling on all fours.

That did it. Before I knew what I was doing, I had already attacked him and bitten into his neck. It didn't take long for me to drain him.

After I was done I looked up and met Alec's gaze with a sheepish expression on my face. "I'm sorry."

Alec just grinned. "Don't worry. You held yourself back for some time. My self-control wasn't much better when I was your age."

"How long did it take you to completely control your bloodlust?" I asked curiously.

"About twenty years, give or take a few," he answered and shrugged.

"Twenty years?" I screached, my eyes bugging out.

"It can't take me that long to control myself. That simply won't do. I don't want to stay here for twenty years. If I would even survive that long. You would probably kill me way before that. I noticed how you promised not to molest or torture me, but you never said anything about killing. I don't even want to know, with how many new and interesting kinds of deaths someone like you can come up with in twenty years!" I knew that I was rambling, but I didn't seem able to stop myself.

Alec burst out laughing. "You have some serious trust issues, you know that? I can assure you that I don't spend my free time contemplating how to kill you."

I prodded Alec's chest with my finger. "Yet! Believe me, at some point you will start to. Huh, you still haven't promised not to kill me."

Alec snickered. "Alright, I also promise not to kill you. Satisfied?"

I nodded. "So, what's up next?"

"I want to see how you deal with humans, when there is no blood involved. Since you need some clothes anyway, I will take you shopping."

I wrinkled my nose in distaste. "Ugh, I thought you promised not to torture me. Can't we simply order some stuff from the internet?"

Alec shook his head in mock sympathy. "Sorry, like I said, I want to see you around humans."

I huffed indignantly. "We could achieve that some other way. You just want to torture me without seeming to do so. You are such a sadistic little bully!"

Alec firmly turned me around and gave me a soft push towards the door. "For that last comment I will take you one hour longer shopping than originally planned."

I looked back at him to conter, but I was distracted when I saw the incredulous faces of the other vampires in the room. It reminded me that bickering with someone like Alec might not be the smartest thing to do. Oh well, after all he had promised not to kill me. I stopped in my tracks and turned around. "I will get you back for this, just so that you know."

Alec merely snorted and took my hand. "Come on. There are at least ten shops I want to visit today."

I groaned, but followed him. My hand in his felt actually kind of nice.

The first shop Alec took me to was some really fancy boutique for the rich. I rolled my eyes, when the saleswoman knew Alec by name. "I am beginning to believe that you have some kind of shopping addiction."

"I lied about the ten shops. You can get all the clothes you need right in this boutique. I always shop here. It saves time."

"Well, same goes for all the big clothing stores and it wouldn't be so pricey. I am not really comfortable with you spending so much money on me." I tried to pull Alec out of the store, but he refused to move.

"Money isn't a problem. I have more than I could ever spend, and it gets more each day." With these words Alec pushed me right in front of the salesperson. "I need a complete new wardrobe for my friend here."

It was funny to see how the saleswoman tried to focus on me. My talent made situations like these kind of difficult. "Hmm", she said after a while. "I think, you need to wear some bright colors."

I couldn't suppress a grin, but it died when she continued. "I think, you would look adorable in some of our new outfits in cherry red and apple green."

I gripped Alec's arm, close to panic. "Alec, I don't want to look adorable in cherry red and apple green," I said quietly through clenched teeth, so that the horrible woman in front of me couldn't hear me.

Alec cleared his throat. "I don't think that those outfits would be appropriate for Anna here. Our families prefer subdued colors."

The saleswoman quickly nodded. "Of course. I will assemble some outfits for you to try on. Do you need anything else?"

"Some undergarments for her, please," Alec replied smoothly.

The saleswoman gave me again a onceover. "I really don't think that you need to wear a bra yet, my dear. I will simply get you some nice little panties." After this she flitted away, while I stared after her, openmouthed. I looked over to Alec, who was shaking with silent laughter. "Can I please kill her now?"

The clothes she showed us were all variations of coats and skirts. I gritted my teeth. "Alec, unless I am going to work in some kind of business ceo job I am not yet aware of, I am not going to wear this stuff."

"This is how the Volturi dress," Alec answered simply.

"I am not one of the Volturi, and I want to wear clothes I am comfortable in. I cannot fight in clothes like that," I said exasperated.

Alec raised an eyebrow. "Fight? No one among the Volturi would dare to attack you, not even my sister. Everyone knows that you are mine."

I frowned. "I didn't mean fighting as in life or death, I meant horsing around. And I am not yours."

Alec simply smiled. "Sure you are. And I want you to wear these clothes."

I argued some more, but in the end I had no choice but to accept that I had to wear whatever Alec wanted me to.

After we were finally finished with shopping, I was thoroughly pissed. At least I had managed not to kill anyone. My new clothes, complete with different pairs of four inch heel shoes, were sent to the castle while we walked home.

"Where are we going to put all this stuff, anyway?"

Alec shot me an amused look. "They will be put in my wardrobe. You are going to share my room with me while you are being here."

I nodded, not in the mood for any more fights. I didn't have any personal stuff and since I didn't need to sleep, I really didn't care, if I officially shared Alec's room or not.

I was relieved when we finally reached the castle. "Can I go now or do you want to torture me in some other way?"

"You can go, but don't leave the castle."

I fled without another look in Alec's direction. While I wandered through the castle, I noticed the sound of a computer game behind one of the doors. I knocked and opened the door after I heard a short grunt, which I took as an invitation to enter.

The tallest and probably strongest vampire I had ever seen was playing some first person shooter computer game which I didn't recognize. That didn't mean much, though, since I hadn't played anything in three years. Living a nomad's life and playing computer games isn't really compatible.

"Hi, I am Anna. Want to play against me?"

The huge vampire simply tossed me a game controller. "I'm Felix."

I lost the first few rounds, because I lacked practice, but then I started to get the hang of it. Felix and I began to warm up to each other, too. After a while it was hard to say, which one of us was swearing more at the other player and the game in general. Finally I won for the first time.

"Ha!" I jumped on top of the sofa, on which we were sitting, and pointed at Felix. "I totally owned you! From now on you will need me to play with a handicap to come even close to winning."

"One lucky win, and she thinks she is all that!"

I hit Felix playfully against the arm. "Forget it, loser boy, I am the new champion here. You are history. Bow down before me and beg me to share my superior fighting skills with you."

Felix guffawed. "Superior fighting skills, hmm?" Without warning he lunged at me. I may not be the tallest or strongest vampire in existence, but I do have extremely good reflexes, even for a vampire. Therefore I managed to dodge Felix' attack and to jump on the table in front of him to taunt him some more. "Like I said: superior fighting skills."

The next thing I knew, Felix flipped the table I was standing on. A huge fight broke out, but in the end it was Felix who managed to pin me down. He had both of my hands in one of his, and he used his body to press mine down to the ground. With his free hand he tickled me mercilessly. I squirmed under him, squealing and laughing, till he finally stopped.

"Now do you acknowledge me as the best fighter here, or do I have to tickle you some more?"

I was still thinking about how to get out of this one, when a silky voice interrupted us.

"May I ask what you two are doing?"

I turned my head to the open door and saw Alec leaning in the doorframe, his face eerily devoid of all emotion. I looked around the room which looked as if a hurricane had hit it. "Urn, I humiliated Felix at his own computer game, and he didn't take it too well?"

Alec abandoned his position at the door in a fluid motion and took a few steps towards us. It looked graceful in the way a predator is graceful while stalking his prey. I had never seen him move like this before. It was scary, even more so in combination with his calm, expressionless face.

"So, to calm Felix down, you decided to make out with him?"

I shared a horrified look with Felix. He jumped off of me as if my skin had burned him. It hadn't occurred to us that him lying on top of me, while holding my hands in his, could easily be misinterpreted.

Felix held his hands up. "Alec, this isn't what it looks like."

He looked frightened. Normally, I would have found it funny that someone as tall and muscular as Felix was scared of someone as small and slender as Alec, but the situation was too serious for laughing.

I hastily stood up and walked over to Alec, putting one of my hands against his chest. "Alec, we weren't making out, we were horsing around. I told you that I like to do that."

His body seemed to relax a little under my hand. I gnawed on my bottom lip and looked up into his ruby eyes. "But even if we had been making out, why would that be a problem? We aren't together or anything like that."

He tensed again. "Because you are mine and I. Do. Not. Share. What. Is. Mine." He put emphasis behind each of his last words.

I stared at him openmouthed. "Are you serious? So I can't kiss a guy or anything like that the whole time while I'm here?"

"It's a small price for surviving, don't you think?" Alec asked coldly in return.

My head was spinning. "So I am yours till I can control my bloodlust, and until then I can't have any kind of relationship," I recapitulated. "What about you?" Why did I ask him that? Alec was hardly someone who had loving relationships with others. He was too busy killing everyone he met. And even if he did have relationships, what did I care?

Alec looked at me with mock wide eyes. "What about me? Do you want me to be yours? We could do that, but then I would have to insist on the consummation part of such an arrangement."

I threw my hands in the air as a sign of giving up. "Ugh, never mind." I left Felix' room and headed for the roof for another round of stargazing.

This time without company.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing related to Twilight._

**Please review:**_ This is my first fanfic, and I don't know what to think about the fact that I haven't gotten any reviews so far. I'm beginning to feel a little dejected. You don't have to say much, just tell me, if I should keep on writing this story or start knitting instead._

**The Ball**

Even though it rained most of the time, I didn't abandon my spot on the roof all night. Only after I had watched the beautiful sunrise was I finally calm enough to return to Alec's room. I needed to ask him if he had planned anything for the day, and I had to change my wet clothes.

But Alec wasn't there when I arrived. I quickly put one of my new outfits on and watched the end result in the mirror, a sour expression on my face.

"You look stupid," I told my reflection. "You look like business barbie – the dwarf edition."

Laughter sounded behind me, and I hastily turned around. Alec was back.

"I think, you look rather stunning." He sauntered over and put an arm around me. "We make a very pretty couple, don't you think?"

I shrugged his arm off. "Stop it. I know that you are not really being serious, but your flirting is annoying me anyway."

"Would it be less annoying to you, if I were being serious about it?" Alec asked me mockingly.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Alec, despite what you may think, not every woman on this planet wants you. I certainly don't."

Before I could react, I was pushed against the wall with Alec standing so close in front of me that our bodies were almost touching. I was surrounded by his unique scent which reminded me of the way the night air smells after a rainy day, fresh and clear with hidden promises lying underneath. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but Alec smelled better to me than any other vampire I had ever met. He brought his mouth so close to my ear that I could feel his breath when he started whispering.

"Are you sure about that?"

I felt as if a light electric current was coursing through my body, and when his lips touched my earlobe light like a feather my knees nearly buckled under me.

Alec took a few steps back and smirked at me. "I think that answers my question."

I straightened myself and tried to regain my composure. This was awkward. If I had still been human, I would have been blushing from head to toe. I took a deep breath. "Sorry Alec, but you are just not my type."

Alec arched his eyebrows. "Really? I always thought that gorgeous, intelligent and extremely powerful is every woman's type."

"Conceited much? I don't even know my exact type, but arrogant, sadistic mass murderer isn't it," I retorted, crossing my arms. "Now, have you anything planned for me today? Because if you don't, I would prefer to leave."

"Why? Are you scared of me?" Alec taunted.

"No, I am not scared of you. But to be truthful, I think I should be," I answered earnestly.

Alec watched me for a while without saying anything, obviously contemplating how to respond. "I am glad that you are not afraid of me," he chose to say in the end, but it sounded as if he had wanted to say more than that.

An uncomfortable silence followed. Finally Alec sighed and started talking again. "Today is Sulpicia's birthday, Aro's wife. There will be a ball in the evening. Attendance is mandatory for the vampires of the guard. Vampires from all over the world will be coming and I am afraid that you will also have to go."

I shrugged. "I don't mind. I actually love to dance. The only problem is that I have no dress to wear."

Alec smiled. "I already let Heidi order a dress for you. She will also do your makeup. I told her to be here at seven o' clock. That should give you enough time to get ready."

I shook my head. "You are so high-handed."

"Well, if you don't like my dress for you, we can always go shopping for another one," Alec said grinning wildly.

I shuddered. "No, no. I am sure the dress is fine."

Alec looked down to the floor. "There is just one problem. I can't accompany you to the dance. I already promised my sister months ago that I would take her."

"I think, I'll survive," I answered dryly. "Is there anything else today?"

Alec told me that I could spend the rest of the day as I pleased, and therefore I went to see Felix. He had just bought a new videogame and was happy to have someone to play with.

After we had played for some time he asked me, if I was also going to Sulpicia's dance.

"Alec says, I have to," I answered and shrugged. "But I don't really mind. I love to dance."

"I hate dancing," Felix sighed. "Are you going with Alec?"

I shook my head. "Nah, he is already going with his sister. But to tell you the truth, even if he were free, I wouldn't want to go with him."

"Better don't let him hear that," Felix murmured under his breath. "Well, I would go with you, but I already have a date."

"Thanks, Felix, but I don't mind going alone."

Felix expression brightened. "I have an idea. Corin, he is one of the guards, is also planning on going alone. You two should go together."

Felix grabbed my hand, without waiting for my reply, and pulled me with him. He dragged me through the castle, and I had no choice but to follow him. I wondered, if Felix even knew how freakishly strong he was. Felix raised his hand to knock on a door, but paused in mid motion. "Now, Corin is rather shy and softspoken, so maybe you should hold back a little."

"Excuse me?" I asked slightly irritated. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Anna, you are like a battering ram." Felix said and started laughing. "A pocketsized one."

I was just hitting Felix as the door opened. The vampire, who stood behind it, was of medium height, blond and looked nice. Felix caught my hand and cleared his throat. "Ahem, hi Corin. This here is Anna. She doesn't have a date for tonight, and since she likes to dance and I know that you do, too, I thought that you could go together."

I was mortified. This was just too embarrassing. Like having your parents ask a guy to be your prom date. "I am so sorry, Corin. I swear, this wasn't my idea. Felix just dragged me over here. You really don't have to go with me."

Corin smiled at me. "You don't have to be embarrassed. I actually think that it's a great idea. Where should I get you tonight?"

"Ahm, Alec's room," I replied, returning the smile.

"Alright. See you tonight, Anna." He looked over to Felix. "See you also, Felix." With that he closed the door.

Felix stared after him, a stunned expression on his face. "Well, that was easy. He seems to like you."

"You know, you don't have to sound quite so disbelieving. I am a likable person," I declared, feeling a bit miffed.

Felix tousled my hair. "Of course you are. Let's go back and play another round of violent video games, so that you can swear at me, hit me and make fun of me some more, before you have to get ready for tonight."

**ooooooooooo**

A few minutes before seven o' clock I was back at Alec's room. He was already dressed in a tuxedo and looked breathtaking. I gave him a tentative smile. "You look nice."

His answering smile was beautiful. "I am sure you will look nice, too." He furrowed his brow. "I am really sorry that you have to go alone to the dance."

"Don't worry," I said quickly. "I won't go alone. Corin is taking me."

"What?" A millisecond later Alec was standing right in front of my face, looking furious. "How do you even know Corin?"

"Felix introduced us," I answered slowly, trying to understand why Alec was so angry. "Why are you so mad? Just a second ago you were worried about me going alone to the dance. And now you are mad that I won't go alone. Your mood swings are giving me whiplash."

I was thoroughly confused, but unfortunately I didn't get an answer to my question, because Heidi arrived with my dress before Alec could say anything.

"I will see you at the ball," Alec told me and left after a curt nod in Heidi's direction.

Somehow that had sounded more like a threat than a normal farewell, and I wasn't the only one who had noticed it.

"Sheesh," Heidi said, while she helped me into my dress. "What's his problem?"

I sighed. "He seems to be mad that Corin is taking me to dance. I don't know why, though. Maybe he just doesn't like him or something."

Heidi sat me down to do my makeup. "Just forget it. Alec will get over it."

After Heidi was finished with my makeup, she did my hair and then dragged me in front of the mirror. I could hardly recognize myself. I was wearing a cream coloured dress that made me look delicate instead of skinny, my hair was pinned up with pearls in it, and Heidi had somehow managed to make my eyes look huge and my lips full and soft. I looked beautiful in an ethereal way.

"Huh, I can't believe that you actually managed to make me look pretty for a change. You are a miracle worker," I told Heidi.

Heidi just laughed. "The beauty was always there. I only enhanced it, so that it will be easier seen."

I mulled that over. I hadn't forgotten, what Alec had told me that first night on the roof. "A quiet beauty?"

Heidi smiled. "Exactly. That is a very good description.

**ooooooooooo**

Corin and I arrived at the ball with my arm linked in his.

"Do you want to dance?" He asked me quietly.

So far only a few couples were dancing, so we would be very much on display, but on the other hand we would have plenty of room to move.

I had loved to dance as a human and I had been rather good, too. I was fairly sure that I wouldn't make a complete idiot of myself in front of all the people, so I nodded.

Corin was an exceptional dancer. If you dance with a man, who knows how to dance and how to lead, it makes you feel like you aren't doing any of the movements yourself. It is as if your feet are not touching the ground, as if you are floating a little bit above it, getting whirled around by your partner. It's maybe the closest you can get to the feeling of flying.

I was so happy to dance that I didn't once stop smiling up in Corin's face. He returned my smile with a warm one of his own, and when the music stopped, we simply waited for the next song and continued dancing. We didn't talk at all, content in our world of music and graceful, harmonious moving.

But after a few dances I was pulled back to earth by Felix, who tapped on Corin's shoulder to suggest a partner switch. Felix wasn't nearly as good a dancer as Corin, but it was still fun.

"I thought, you don't like to dance," I mocked Felix lightly.

Felix made a face. "I don't, but I had to do something. Alec looked about ready to kill Corin. You should have seen yourself. Vampires are naturally graceful, but you two looked as if you were made out of liquid, swirling over the floor without even seeming to touch it. I've never seen anything like it, and I have seen Corin dancing with other women before."

I tilted my head to the side and gave Felix an impish grin. "Thanks, that was surprisingly poetic." I stopped grinning. "But I don't see why Alec should be mad about any of that."

"Ask him," Felix said and pushed me unceremoniously into the arms of another vampire: Alec.

Alec steadied me, while I glared at Felix' fast retreating back. "Well, he certainly isn't getting another dance soon!"

Alec didn't say anything, simply pulled me close to him and guided me back into the dance. Soon I felt like flying again. Alec, like Colin, was a very good dancer. But dancing with Alec was nevertheless very different from dancing with Corin. Vampire bodies don't produce heat, but I still felt as if fire was coursing through my body. Before I even realized it, the little distance between our bodies was closed, Alec's intoxicating scent surrounding me completely. Little tremors ran up and down my skin, and I felt as if our bodies were melting into each other. My brain completely ceased to function, and only the music and the sensations of my body remained. This wasn't just flying anymore, this was flying surrounded by a shower of sparks.

After the music stopped, Alec held me still in his arms, my body slightly shivering. I didn't dare to look up into his face, afraid that I might do something stupid, like for example kiss him. Slowly I forced my traitorous body out of Alec's embrace. I looked around and saw Corin standing with Felix and his date, watching the dancers. I walked over to them briskly, not once looking back at Alec.

I smiled at Corin and Felix and introduced myself to Felix' date. Soon afterwards Corin and Felix' date left to dance, and Felix turned to me, looking amused. "You and Alec, that was also like watching swirling liquid, but this time boiling hot liquid, charged with electricity."

"I really don't want to talk about it," I said through clenched teeth.

Fortunately Felix got distracted by some scantily clad blonde before he could say anything else. The woman basically threw herself at him, ignoring me who was standing right next to him, completely. Felix looked more uncomfortable with each passing second, and I decided to help him out.

"Hi," I held my hand directly under the nose of the blonde. "I am Anna."

She gave me a quick onceover. "Sorry, I didn't see you standing there."

Now that was just rude. "Did you hear that, Felix? Now my talent does not only work on humans but on trashy bimbos as well!" I exclaimed, a huge fake smile on my face.

Felix, who knew of my little gift, burst out laughing. The blonde left and I looked quizzically at Felix. "What was that about? Did you know her?"

Felix shook his head. "Nah, she was just some Volturi groupie."

"The Volturi have groupies?" I asked, my voice heavy with disbelief.

Felix shrugged his massive shoulders. "We are the largest and most powerful vampire coven in the world. Some vampires just feel attracted to power or they hope to win our favor. Whatever the reason, at every party we have women and men throwing themselves at the members of the guard. It gets annoying after some time."

I looked around and saw Alec standing next to his sister, people giving them a wide berth. "I don't see anyone throwing themselves at Alec or Jane."

Felix snickered. "Well, groupies in general are stupid, not suicidal."

A plan formulated itself in my head. I still owed Alec some payback for the shopping horror the other day. So, whenever I wasn't dancing, and some woman tried to get Felix' or Corin's attention and they didn't look thrilled about it, I would drag the woman over to Alec and introduce her to him.

After the seventh or eighth woman or so Alec came over to me. "Could I talk to you for a second?" He looked mad enough to kill, and since that wasn't just an expression with Alec, I decided to follow him without making a fuss.

Once we were outside he grabbed me and dragged me into a corner, where we couldn't get seen or overheard. "Why do you keep bringing these airheaded women over to me? Do you hope that I will choose one for the night, so that there is a chance that I won't mind if you have sex with Felix or Corin tonight?"

My jaw dropped. There was so much wrong with his accusation that I didn't even know where to start, but it was another thought that kept popping up in my head. "You have sex?" I blurted out, before I could stop myself.

It was Alec's turn to look shocked. "Why wouldn't I? What do you think I am? Some sort of eunuch?"

I didn't know how to answer that. Sure, Alec was beautiful and everything, I had felt attracted to him myself after all, but the thought of one of the witch twins being intimate with someone was just mindboggling to me. Alec watched me struggling with my thoughts.

"I just can't see you having relationships," I said finally, deciding to be direct.

Alec raised his eyebrows. "I never said anything about relationships. I simply have sex from time to time."

"As in each time with a different woman? How many?" I asked, completely baffled.

Alec pressed his lips into a tight line. "Despite what you seem to think, women do find me attractive, and I have lived for several centuries. You do the math."

I shook my head. Even if he slept only with one different woman each year that would still make hundreds. In reality it probably were more than a thousand. "That is disgusting! So many women, and you never had any deeper feelings for any of them? Why would you even want to have sex with somebody you care nothing about?"

Alec gave me a lazy smile. "Because it feels really, really good?"

I didn't dignify that with an answer, but fled back to Felix and Corin.

"What did Alec want?" Felix asked me curiously.

"He basically accused me of pimping out women to him, so I could have sex with either you or Corin," I told him exasperated.

Felix just gaped at me and then started laughing. "Seriously?"

I nodded. "I am beginning to wonder, if he is entirely sane." I threw my arms in the air. "What am I saying? He is a murdering psychopath, of course he isn't sane."

Felix laughed even more. Someone tipped on my shoulder. "Anna?"

I turned around and my eyes grew wide. "Robert?" I hugged the nomad, who had travelled with my coven for some time and who was a good friend of mine.

Robert took my hands and looked me over. "You look great, Anna. Where are Makenna and Charles?"

I stared at the floor. "They are dead."

Robert drew a sharp breath and took me outside. "What happened?"

I told him about the bus incident. "And now I have to stay with the Volturi till I have my bloodlust under control." I tried a weak smile. "Think of me as being on probation."

Robert sat down and pulled me into his lap, holding me tightly in his arms. I clung to him until I heard someone approach. I looked up and saw Alec. "And here is my probation officer," I muttered quietly to myself.

Alec watched me with an inscrutable expression. "Every time I turn around I find you in the arms of yet another vampire. Care to explain what's going on now?"

I glared at Alec. "Excuse me? I am not the one who has slept with legions of vampires, oh old and horny one!" I pointed a finger at him. "You know what, Alec? You are a slut!"

"What?" Alec asked incredulous.

"Well, what would you call someone, who has slept with more vampires than I have even met?" I shot back.

He smirked. "Experienced?" His face grew serious again. "But you still haven't answered my question. What are you doing with that nomad?"

I was so mad, I could barely speak. "Robert is an old friend of mine. I told him about Makenna and Charles, and he is comforting me. You know, people who actually care about others, do things like that." I gave Alec another death glare. "So stop obsessing about my nonexistent love life and just leave me the hell alone!"

Alec tilted his head to the side. "Nonexistent?"

I rolled my eyes. "I was only fifteen, when I was changed. And living the life of a nomad isn't helpful in building relationships. And unlike you I don't have sex with someone who means nothing to me. Now this time you do the math."

Alec blinked slowly, looking dumbstruck. I sighed. "Yes, Alec. Zero sex for Anna. Now get lost."

"Well, if you ever want to change that, you know where to find me," Alec said and smirked at me.

I curled my lips in distaste. "What a tempting offer. You sure know how to woo a woman with sweet and romantic words, but I think I'll decline nevertheless." I turned back to Robert. "Would you go dance with me? I don't think stalker boy over there is going to leave us alone any time soon."

Alec looked slightly unsure of himself. "Alright, I'll go. I'll see you later."

"Whatever," I muttered after his retreating figure.

"Anna," Robert said gritting his teeth, "Please tell me that wasn't THE Alec."

I shrugged. "The one and only."

"You told him to get lost and called him a slut among other things! Are you nuts?" Robert almost screamed.

Thinking about what I had said to Alec, I started to wonder that myself. "I just never think before I speak. You know that."

"You can say that again," Robert sighed.

The rest of the night I spent dancing, alternating mostly between Corin and Robert. Some other vampires asked me to dance, too, but Alec thankfully left me alone.

It was all over way too soon. Robert said goodbuy, and Corin brought me back to Alec's room. I cleaned the makeup off my face and switched my clothes.

I was still feeling blissful from all the dancing, when the door opened, and Alec came into the room. My good mood evaporated. I didn't want to talk to him, but I felt that I needed to apologize for some of the things I had said. "I'm sorry about earlier, Alec. I was maybe a bit harsh in my choice of words."

"You meant it though, didn't you," Alec replied. It wasn't a question. "I never apologize for the way I am, you shouldn't either. For me caring about someone means to accept that person just like he or she is. I never understood people, who claim to love someone and then try to change that person." He ran a hand through his hair. "I guess, I am saying that I am not mad at you for talking to me like that, because it's just who you are, and I don't want you to change." He turned around and left, with me staring after him, dumbfounded.

Did Alec just basically tell me that he cared about me?


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing related to Twilight._

**Reviews:** First, a heartfelt thanks to my two reviewers. You two are my heroes.

Now to the rest of my readers: Two reviews? Seriously, guys? This story has over 230 readers and more than 400 hits and all I get is two reviews? That must be some sort of negative record! You should all hide in shame… *frowns sternly*

Oh well, not that you lazy bunch deserve it, but here is my new chapter anyway. This story is labeled 'romance/humor' and since the last chapters were heavy on the humor, this one will have more romance… Enjoy.

**ooooooooooooooo**

**Horror Movie Night**

I spent the whole day in the Volturi library. I needed some peace and quiet and I loved to read. The only interruption all day had been a short visit from Alec. He had wanted to know what kind of movies I liked. After I had told him curtly that I preferred either horror, action or science fiction he left me alone again. I was glad for that, because I still didn't know what to make of his little parting comment this morning.

In the evening Alec came back. "Come on. We are going to the movies. A popular horror movie is playing. That means lots of humans in an enclosed space with their emotions running high, especially fear. The dark will help to conceal any strange reactions on your part. If necessary, I will make sure that you don't kill anyone. We need to strengthen your self-control and this will be a good way to start."

I knew that Alec was right. I had controlled myself during our little shopping trip, but there had been almost no humans around and I had eaten right beforehand. Going to the movies would be an entirely different story.

Makenna and Charles hadn't had much restraint when it came to humans either, so we had simply avoided situations in which we would get too tempted. Well, we all know, how well that had turned out.

"Do you hate us for killing your two coven mates?" Alec asked me while we were walking at human speed through the streets of Volterra. After a look at my surprised face he elaborated. "I know that you were thinking of them right now. You had this sad and wistful expression you always get, when you think of them."

It made me slightly uncomfortable that Alec seemed so attuned to me. But he was a very old vampire, so he probably was just good at reading people in general. Which was why I wouldn't try to lie answering his question, because he would, without a doubt, easily see through it. "To me the Volturi are a necessary evil. I know about the newborn wars and I certainly wouldn't want to see anything like that ever happening again. I also realize that the Volturi are keeping us all safe by ensuring that the humans don't find out about us. Makenna and Charles thought the same way, which is why they didn't try to run or fight after the bus incident and decided to simply accept your ruling."

I took a deap breath. "However, I do think that Aro went too far by killing Makenna and Charles. They would have been even more careful in the future, and the whole thing had been an extremely unfortunate coincidence anyway. So, yeah, I hate Aro, Caius and Marcus. I am not thinking of revenge, because Makenna and Charles would never want that, but I am very much looking forward to leaving Volterra and I don't plan on ever coming back."

Alec was silent for a while. "What about the guards? Do you hate us, too?"

I shook my head. "No. It wasn't your decision to kill my coven mates, I put the blame where it belongs. And I haven't forgotten that it was you who saved my life, Alec. I will never forget that." It was true. I might not exactly like Alec, but I did owe him. So much that I would probably never be able to pay him back.

**oooooooo****ooooooo**

Alec hadn't been exaggerating when he had told me that the movie, we were going to see, was popular. The previews hadn't even started yet and the room was already packed.

I sat huddled in my seat, trying not to get overwhelmed by so many humans so close to me. There were so many warm bodies that they were slowly rising the room temperature. I drew shallow, short breaths, wishing I could stop breathing altogether. But the lights were still on and I had to keep up appearances, even though as usual, humans didn't pay attention to me. But I wouldn't take any chances, not with a Volturi sitting right next to me. The burning in my throat was killing me and I had to swallow every few seconds because of all the venom my mouth produced.

Alec put his arm around me and drew me close to him. To the people around us we probably looked like a cuddling couple, but I knew that he did it so he could hold me back if I lost control. I was so tense that I felt like I could break into a million pieces any second now. I didn't know, if I could hold on much longer.

Alec seemed to sense my crumbling resolve, because he took my hand and started to draw slow circles with his thumb on its back. "Just concentrate on the feelings in your hand," he whispered. He continued to caress my hand, running a finger along my sinews, drawing little patterns on my palm.

It worked in a way, because the sensuous feelings he created did distract me from my thirst and the humans around me. It certainly didn't help me to regain my calm, though. I didn't think that assaulting Alec instead of attacking some human could be counted as a rousing success in controlling my bloodlust, so I snatched my hand out of his. "Stop that!" I hissed.

Alec was unperturbed by my attitude and started to softly massage my shoulders instead. „You need to relax. Just let me help you."

A shiver ran down my spine, when his fingers gently ran over my neck down to my shoulderblades, his thumbs pressing into the tense muscles underneath them. Alec continued to work his way down my back, his touch tender. From time to time he interrupted the massage to lightly trace my spine and the muscles under his fingers. My skin tingled at every single contact.

Eventually he stopped. "The film is about to start. Are you alright now?"

I simply nodded. My body felt like mush. I wasn't sure I could stand right now, much less attack someone.

The film was a classic slasher movie. Some girl got killed and her brother, whose identity was unknown, revenged her by killing off one by one all the people he thought responsible.

When he caught the first victim and started cutting her up, Alec snorted derogatively. "He is cutting too deep and too fast. She will lose too much blood, shortly she won't even feel anymore what he's doing."

"Yes, and where would be the fun in that?" I retorted, sarcasm heavy in my voice.

Alec ignored me. The next victim was decapitated, the headless body still stumbling around for a while. He started snickering. "Oh please. That is just a myth. I have never seen that happen in reality."

He continued to analyze the murders, laughing at most of them, sometimes giving advice on how to improve the killer's methods, other times reminiscing about murders he had witnessed. It was creepy and strangely fascinating at the same time.

At the end of the movie I was thoroughly freaked out. Horror movies usually don't scare me at all, just provide a little suspense. But I never had to go home with someone afterwards, who made the psycho killer from the film look like some laughable amateur.

I had known before the movie that Alec was a remorseless and sadistic killer, but it was a different thing entirely to theoretically know something or to get it shoved in your face. Technically, he had only been talking about humans, which I also killed to feed, but I didn't torture or mutilate them. And Alec killed vampires just as easily.

As soon as the last human had left the room I scooted away from Alec. He stood up and tried to take my hand, but I cringed away.

"What's wrong?" He asked confused.

"I just got a big dose of reality," I answered honestly.

Alec's expression hardened. „You knew what I am. I never pretended to be anything else."

"I know," I replied softly. "But I can't help what I feel."

Alec left without another word, walking with long swift strides. I hurried after him. In a dark deserted alley he turned around to me. "And what is it exactly that you feel?"

I shook my head. „Let's just go back to the castle, Alec."

I tried to walk past him, but he grabbed me and trapped me against a wall on the side of the road. I was again engulfed in his scent, and even though I didn't want to, I could feel my body reacting. What was wrong with me that I felt attracted to someone like Alec?

I looked up into his eyes and they were pitch black underneath the colored contacts he was wearing. Alec traced the side of my face with his hand and I just stared at him, transfixed. He cupped my chin and slowly lowered his head towards mine.

When his lips were only millimeters away from mine he halted. "Tell me," he demanded, his voice a low and silky murmur. His breath touched my lips and my own breath got caught in my throat. My legs turned to rubber and to keep myself from falling to the ground I wrapped my arms around his neck.

Alec exhaled sharply and a second later I felt his lips on mine. A jolt coursed through my body at the touch and I couldn't suppress a small whimper. His lips started moving against mine and without thinking I returned his kiss.

Alec pressed himself against me, his kiss growing more urgent. I moaned and he used the opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth. When it touched mine, the feelings in my body got so overwhelming, I felt close to fainting. I could feel Alec's hand on the bare skin of my stomach, wandering up my body.

That brought me back to reality. This couldn't be happening. Not with him. I strongly pushed Alec away from me, catching him completely off guard. He crashed with a loud crack into one of the big oaks that lined the street, a shower of leaves raining down on him.

I froze. This wasn't good. I had just smashed a member of the Volturi guard into a tree. I raced over to him. "I'm sorry, Alec. I guess, I used a little too much strength."

Alec slowly stood up, leaves falling from his body, and silently inspected the crack the impact had caused in the trunk of the tree. He ran a finger along the fissure. "You know, Anna," he said, suddenly starting to laugh, "usually, lovers just carve a little heart with their initials into a tree."

**oooooooooooooo****o**

**To my readers:** Yep, they kissed *lol*. What do you think will happen next? Will this change things between them?

**Let's see, if we can get to the mind-boggling ****total of 5 reviews after this chapter…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing related to Twilight._

**Reviews:**Thanks to the few of you, who reviewed.

**Information:** reviewers + story alerts = 12 people, who like my story. More than 320 don't. Therefore, I decided to discontinue this story. I have one more chapter as a draft on my computer, I will put it up in the next few days, but I will not write any new ones. Sorry to you twelve, who like the story. Chapters 7 will be solely for you.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

**Talks, Fights and Games**

Back at the castle I went straight to Felix' room. Alec hadn't tried to talk to me on the way home and he didn't object, when I left him without a word. He seemed to know that I needed some space.

My mind was whirling, all the thoughts in my head chasing another, making it impossible for me to concentrate. Why did I kiss Alec? How could I feel attracted to someone like him? Why did he kiss me? Was he just planning on making me mark number 1001 on his bedpost? Did he care about me? Why did it even matter to me, if he cared about me?

I buried my face in my hands and groaned. I was in desperate need of some distraction from my thoughts. I very much doubted that I would be able to concentrate on a book right now, so videogaming with Felix it was.

After Felix and I had played for some time he suddenly paused the game. "Alright, Anna. What's wrong? You are being unusually quiet tonight, you haven't once insulted me since you came."

"Alec and I kissed," I blurted out.

Felix didn't look very surprised. "So?"

I huffed exasperated. "So, I don't want to kiss Alec. I don't want to feel attracted to someone like him. It's freaking me out."

"Alec is not so bad," Felix said and shrugged.

I raised my eybrows.

"Alright, he is bad," Felix amended, "but not to you."

"I really don't understand, why I even feel attracted to him," I said in a bitter voice. "He is a remorseless sociopathic killer, for crying out loud. And even if he weren't, we still would have nothing in common. I could understand, if I felt attracted to Corin or even you, for that matter. Corin is a nice guy, who shares my love for dancing and books, and you are a fun guy, who likes playing videogames and horsing around, just like I do."

"Well, let me be blunt, here," Felix said.

I snickered at that. „Instead of being your usual reserved self, you mean?"

Felix chuckled. „Whatever. What I wanted to say, before you so rudely interrupted me, is that you actually don't know Alec all that well. You only spend time with him, if you absolutely have to, and you haven't made any efforts to get to know him better. I know, for example, for a fact that Alec likes books, too."

I pondered that. Now that Felix had mentioned it, I did remember seeing him with a book in his hands that first evening at his room.

Felix continued to talk. „And Alec may not exactly be the videogaming or brawling type, but he does love to play board games. He prefers the strategic ones like chess. He is the best player among the guard, Aro and him often play against each other."

That wasn't all that surprising, if I thought about it. Alec was patient, calculating and intelligent, so him liking a game like chess made sense.

"I don't play chess," I replied.

Felix snorted. „I didn't think you would. But I bet that you like to play games, which are not so purely strategic. Games which have some chance involved to make things more interesting. Alec likes those, too."

I nodded. „Yeah, you are right. So, Alec likes to play games?"

"Course he does," Felix answered, the double meaning in his words evident. "He also enjoys crafts. He likes carving and sculpting."

My mind instantly flashed me pictures of Alec cutting up human bodies or torturing the stonelike bodies of vampires with hammer and chisel. Felix saw my disgusted expression and stood up to throw me a little figurine. It was a small stone bird, so delicate that you could see the light shine through the stone at places. It was perfect in its details. I had never seen anything like it.

"He did this? Wow, that's…" I trailed off.

"Yeah, it is," Felix said simply.

"Still, I don't want a relationship with Alec and I am certainly not casual sex gal," I declared, my voice firm.

Felix shrugged. „That's your decision. Sounds to me like you have already figured everything out. So, why are you so freaked?"

"Because I don't seem to have my reactions under control whenever he comes near to me!" I explained irritated. „I don't want him, but tell that to my body."

Felix guffawed. „Maybe you should just talk to Alec. Tell him you need some space."

I nodded and sighed. „Yeah, you are right. I need to talk to him. Ugh, I hope, he hasn't interpreted too much into that kiss."

Felix rolled his eyes at me. "It was just a kiss, wasn't it? I mean, you didn't hold hands with him afterwards and declared your eternal love, did you?"

"No, I kind of smashed him into a tree," I said, feeling stupid.

"Well, then I think it's safe to assume that Alec is not picking out wedding rings right now."

**oooooooooooooooooooooo**

I found Alec in the library, once again reminding me that Felix had been right: I didn't really know Alec at all. "Ahm, can we talk for a second?"

Alec shut the book he had been reading. „Certainly," he answered politely and waited for me to continue talking.

I glanced curiously at the book in his hands. "What are you reading?"

"Umberto Eco's 'Il nome della rosa', it's one of my favorites. You should read it sometime. Now, I don't think, you are here to discuss literature with me, so just tell me what you want."

The problem was, I didn't know how to do that without sounding like a complete dork. 'Alec, I don't want to kiss you ever again, but since I don't seem able to control myself around you, you need to keep a ten foot distance at all times'? Yeah, that didn't sound stupid at all.

"I've already read that book. I like it, too," was my brilliant response after some time had passed.

Alec sighed. "Let me make this easy for you: You don't like me. You wish, you had never kissed me and you don't want it to ever happen again."

I sat down next to him. „Yeah, that's about it, except for the first part. Felix pointed out to me that I don't really know you well enough to dislike you." 'At least, if you left out the psychotic killer part', I amended in my head.

"No, you don't," Alec replied curtly.

"Well, Felix told me some of the things that you like. He said, you like to read, play board games and do crafts like carving and sculpting. That's pretty cool." I smiled at Alec. „I saw the stone bird you gave him. You are really good."

He smiled back at me. "Thanks. I also know some of the things you like. You like to sit on roofs to watch the stars. You like to have time alone to relax and think. You like to laugh and to make people laugh. You like to fight for fun, be it physically or with words. You like horror, science fiction and action movies. You like books, because they let you step into other worlds. You like to dance, because you love music and the way dancing makes you feel. You like to play videogames and I bet board games as well. How am I doing so far?"

I gaped at Alec. This was pretty humiliating. He knew me so well, and all I knew about him was that he had no qualms killing someone and the few things Felix had just told me a few minutes ago. Well, that and that he shared my sense of humor and liked fancy clothing.

I cleared my throat. "Um, not bad. I can only think of two things right now, missing on that list."

Alec cocked his head. "What would those be?" He asked curiously.

"I love water in all its forms. I find it soothing. I even love rain. I like to bathe for hours and I like to go swimming. I love lakes, streams and most of all the sea."

"Interesting," Alec said, pondering my response. „What's the other thing?"

„I am crazy about animals – all animals, but cats the most. Other little girls wanted to be princesses when they grow up, I wanted to be a behavioral scientist for tigers in india."

Alec laughed. "I see." He was quiet for a second, thinking about something. "You did manage to hold yourself back around all the humans tonight, and I think, I know just the right award."

I brightened at that. Because of the kissing part of the evening, I had completely forgotten that I indeed had managed not to attack anyone.

Alec held his hand out to me. "Come on, I want to show you something."

He led me to the most beautiful bathroom I had ever seen. The tiles on floor were the color of sand, the walls were differents shades of blue and green. The whole arrangement reminded me of a beach at the caribic sea. A rack made out of glass was filled with dozens of different bath additives. I took a few in my hands to sniff.

Alec chuckled softly behind me. „I'll leave you alone now. The door locks from the inside. Enjoy."

I closed the door behind him, filled the large tub and gave some vanilla scented bubble bath into the water. After a short while, the warm water surrounding my body had me completely relaxed.

Maybe having to spend time with Alec in the future wouldn't be so bad. We did, after all, have at least some things in common. Maybe we could even become friends of sorts over time.

**oooooooooooooooooooooo**

The next few days were rather uneventful. I didn't have any control training with Alec, so I had lots of free time. I spent most of it alone, but I also spent some time with Felix and Corin and even Alec.

Spending time with Alec was actually kind of fun. Sometimes we would just lie on the couches in his room and read, other times we would talk about our lives and he would tell me sarcastic little anecdotes, making me laugh. I even told him about some of my dreams. The places I wanted to go once I got out of Volterra, the things I wanted to do. Although we did make fun of each other, Alec never laughed at my dreams.

Alec had never tried to flirt with me again after the tree debacle, and after a while I was as comfortable around him as I was around Felix. Well, almost as comfortable. There were always these little moments, when we accidently touched and I felt a jolt running through my body or I got too close to him and got intoxicated by his scent. But Alec just ignored these tense moments, although he probably knew that I was physically reacting to him, and I was thankful for that.

I was just on my way to the library to get some books Alec had recommended to me, when Felix waved me over.

"Hey Anna, I want you to meet someone."

I looked at the tall vampire standing next to Felix. He had a friendly face and a nice smile. Felix gestured between him and me. „Anna, meet Kyle. He is an american nomad and a friend of mine. Kyle meet Anna, my new best buddy. Sorry man, but you have been dethroned."

I laughed and Kyle mock pouted. "Oh, that is just harsh. What does she have that I don't?"

Felix grinned. „Well, for one thing, she hits harder than you do."

Kyle just laughed and Felix shook his head. "Don't underestimate her. She may not exactly be the strongest vampire, but she is stronger than she looks and she has incredibly fast reflexes. You two should spar sometime."

Kyle stared at Felix disbelievingly. "Are you serious? That is probably the smallest vampire I have ever seen in my life."

I was getting annoyed. „Hello! ‚That' is standing right in front of you."

Kyle grinned at me. "Sorry, you are so small, you are kind of easy to overlook."

I snickered, thinking of my talent. "Yeah, I get that a lot. How about we go sparring right now?"

He looked me over. "You aren't exactly dressed for a fight."

I sighed. "Yeah, I know. But I don't have any normal clothes, it's kind of a long story. So let's just go to one of the training rooms and have a go at it. No biting and no ripping off body parts. Besides that anything goes."

Sparring with Kyle was fun. Because he was so much taller, he had a bigger reach, but he was also slower and unlike me he was a big target. Being stronger doesn't help you, if you aren't able to hit your opponent.

Felix, as big and muscular as he was, was nevertheless an extremely agile fighter with lots of experience. I had never once managed to beat him in a fight so far and I doubted that I ever would.

Kyle wasn't nearly as good as Felix. We fought violently for quite some time, but in the end it was me, who managed to get into a position, in which I could have ripped his head off, had this been a real fight.

Kyle sat on the floor and shook his head. "Please Felix, tell me that you will never mention this to anyone."

"Forget it," Felix said between bouts of laughter, "I am going to tease you with this for at least the next hundred years. You got owned by a woman, who is more than a foot smaller than you and probably weighs less than half." He turned to me. "Thanks, Anna. I owe you one for this golden moment in time."

Felix suddenly looked serious again. "One day, Anna, your talent will also work on vampires and will make it difficult for them to focus on you. When that day comes, your gift in combination with your fast reflexes will make you one scary vampire to deal with. I am not sure, if I will be able to beat you then."

I stared at him blank-faced. I had never thought about it that way, but Felix was right. I still wouldn't be much of an opponent for someone like Alec or Jane, who could just knock me out from a distance, but those who had to come close to fight me, I would have a good chance against.

Felix grinned at my stunned expression. "How about you, Kyle and I have a game night tonight? You know, board games. Kyle needs to get a chance to beat you at at least something. You should ask Alec, if he also wants to come."

I simply nodded and dashed away to find Alec. I was still almost delirious with joy about my newfound future scariness, so when I found him, I pulled him without thinking into a big hug.

Alec stiffened and I immediately took a step back. "I'm sorry, Felix just made me realize that when my talent starts working on vampires, I will be rather tough to deal with. I'm just a little exited."

Alec laughed. "You only realized that just now? I wouldn't be surprised, if Aro offers you a place on the guard once your talent is fully matured."

I shuddered. "No thanks. By the way, Felix is having a game night: board games. Wanna come, too?"

Alec nodded. "Sure." His eyes darkened. "Anna, a word of advice. Don't hug me, when your clothes are so ripped up that they are virtually nonexistent. Not unless you intend to finish what you started."

I looked down at myself. He was right. I was practically naked. "See you tonight," I replied and fled, before I could embarrass myself even further.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

I was the last one to arrive at Felix' room. A board game was already set up on a table and Felix, Kyle and Alec were sitting around it. I took the free seat next to Alec.

"Hi Anna," Felix greated me. „No cheating tonight, you hear me?"

"I never cheat," I answered indignantly. „You only convinced yourself that I cheat, because otherwise your fragile ego wouldn't survive me beating you at videogames all the time."

Kyle started laughing. „Oh Anna, woman of my dreams, please tell me that you are still single."

Felix held up his hands. "Please be careful, what you say, Kyle. She already beat you up once today."

"What?" Kyle replied. „I only asked her, if she was single. And to be truthful, part of me was being serious."

I shot a quick glance at Alec, who was watching Kyle through narrowed eyes. "Um, yeah, technically I am still single."

Kyle raised his eyebrows. „What do you mean, ‚technically'?"

I looked at Alec again. Now he would definitively start his whole possessive 'she is mine, no one else shall dare to touch her' routine again.

"Anna is gay," Alec declared nonchalantly.

Or not. „What?"

Felix snickered. „Come on, Anna. I heard, you smashed the last guy, who tried to kiss you, into a tree."

Thanks a lot, Felix. „I am not gay!"

Alec rolled his eyes at me. „Anna, I know, we usually don't talk about your sexual orientation, because Aro doesn't approve, but I am sure that Kyle has no problem with you being gay."

To my utter mortification Kyle reached over the table and took my hand. "It's alright, Anna. It actually doesn't come as that much of a surprise." He patted my hand soothingly, while I stared at him, struck speechless. Felix looked like he was about to choke, trying to suppress his laughter.

"What?"

Alec sighed. "Really, Anna, we all understand and no one has a problem with it."

"Thanks, Alec. That is so nice of you. I don't have a problem with gays, either, but that doesn't change the fact that I. Am. Not. Gay! What do I have to do to end this stupid discussion?"

A sudden thought popped up in my head on how to get my revenge. "Okay, you win, I'm gay." I lowered my voice to a seductive purr. "But Alec, even though you are a guy, I do sometimes feel attracted to you." I leaned over to him and gave him a soft, lingering kiss on the cheek. Alec just stared at me, his eyes hooded.

I smiled. "But that's probably only because you remind me of a girl."

Alec and Felix stopped teasing me after that. Kyle looked wary, most likely trying to figure out, if I was gay or not.

The first game we played was purely strategic with armies battling each other. It didn't last long, because Alec simply swept us other players from the board.

I leaned back in my chair and groaned. "Well, thank God this wasn't a complete und utter humiliation or anything."

Felix snorted. „I don't know, what you are complaining about. At least, you held out for a little while against him. Kyle and me were stomped into the ground almost immediately. From now on we are only playing games that need some luck in addition to a good strategy."

Felix proved true to his words, but unless Alec was hit with bad luck of cataclysmic proportions, he would still win every game. It was impressive and a little disconcerting to see how his mind worked. A vampire's mind is able to process a lot more information at once than a human's and can plan considerably farther ahead, but Alec's mind was nevertheless something else entirely. It was as if he was playing in a different league than us other vampires altogether.

Finally, Felix, Kyle and me gave up trying to beat Alec. An extremely intelligent vampire with a calculating and scheming nature on top of that, like for example Aro, might have a chance against Alec, but certainly none of us three.

I slowly shook my head and looked at him. "You know, how scary you are, right? I sure hope that I will never make you my enemy."

"That is not something you have to worry about," Alec said quietly.

I furrowed my brow. "You never know."

Alec leaned forward, an intense look in his eyes. "Anna, with the exception of my sister, there is not a vampire on earth, who is as safe from me as you are." He stood up, excused himself politely and left, while I just sat there, my jaw slack with surprise.

A silence followed, until Kyle suddenly started to snicker. "Anna, if you really are gay, I think, he might have a bit of a problem."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing related to Twilight._

**Information:** I received many encouraging reviews, messages and story alerts over the last few days. Thank you all so much for that. A special thanks to the reader, who actually made a survey with 50 of her friends on whether I should continue my story or not. You know, who you are :-)

**Therefore, I will continue writing this story.**

Anyway, here's my new chapter. Enjoy…

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

**Choices**

I had decided not to confront Alec about his surprising statement at the game night. He never mentioned it either, and we were as friendly and easy going around each other as we had been before. One day, he gave me a list of band names and asked me to mark the ones for him that I liked.

A few days later, he told me that we would be going to Padua on a concert of one of the bands that I had chosen. "It will be a very good training exercise. Like with the movie, there will be a lot of people with emotions running high in dim lighting. Only this time there won't be any seats, and you will get in close skin contact with the humans in the crowd. Since you did well at the movies, I decided to take it up a notch this time."

"The movies were really hard for me, though," I said slowly. "Especially at first. Are you sure that a concert is such a good idea?"

Alec nodded. "We will make it a bit easier for you, though, by making sure that you are well fed. We aren't allowed to hunt in Volterra, and since it's a three and a half hour drive to Padua, I decided that we will go the day before the concert, which is today. We will arrive in the evening and hunt during the night. The next day we can do some sightseeing before the concert, if you want to. Padua is one of the oldest cities in all of Italy."

"Sounds like fun. Just one little thing: humans normally don't notice me, but you will attract a lot of attention at a rock concert, being a vampire and dressed as formal as you are. That will make it kind of difficult to hide any strange reactions on my part."

Alec made a face. „Yes, I know. Because of that I will dress inconspicuously for our trip."

**ooooooooooooooooooooooo**

I couldn't help laughing, when I saw Alec in his 'inconspicuous' attire. It wasn't that he was wearing anything outrageous, but seeing him in normal teenager clothes was nevertheless funny to me. He was wearing blue jeans, a black t-shirt and tennis shoes.

"We should get you a baseball cap, too," I said between bouts of laughter.

"Glad, I can amuse you," Alec replied sourly. "Your clothes are in my room. Go get changed, our car is about to arrive."

After I had changed into clothes that were similar to Alec's, we went out front to the already waiting car, complete with driver. It made sense, because neither Alec nor I looked old enough to be driving in a country, where the required driving age is eighteen.

The ride was peaceful with Alec reading and me watching the scenery from my window. When we arrived at Padua, it was completely dark outside. We went to a park and found a couple of drunks to feed upon.

"I'm going to dispose of the bodies," Alec told me quietly. "Are you alright staying here or do you want to come with me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Alec, I am not some kind of rabid dog. I'll just sit over there on the bench and wait till you come back. I can assure you that I won't go searching for the handful of humans that are wandering around the park at this late hour. I'll be fine."

Alec nodded and left with the bodies. I sat on the bench and enjoyed the clear night air, until I heard a little shuffling noise right behind me. I whipped my head around and saw a big, muscular man standing right behind me. It was a vampire, of course, a human wouldn't have been able to come so close without me noticing.

"Hey there, sugar," he greeted me and grinned. I didn't like the look in his eyes.

I jumped off the bench to leave, only to almost collide with another vampire standing right in front of me. He was not as big and scary looking as the one behind me, but he had the same greedy gleam in his eyes. Both vampires began to circle me. Since I wasn't a food source to them, I had a foreboding, what it was they wanted. I wasn't going to let that happen. The only problem was that my options were kind of limited.

I could try to run, but I have fast reflexes, not fast legs. I had no doubt that the two vampires could outrun me.

I could try to fight, but fighting one bigger and stronger opponent is one thing, fighting two is another. Also, I had never actually been in a real fight, just sparred.

So, option number three it was: I would try to stall. Alec should be back soon.

"What brings you two out here at night? Hunting? I saw some humans going that way." I pointed to the left. "You should be able to easily catch them."

"Oh, we are hunting alright. But it seems to me that we already have our catch of the day," the stockier of the two replied, chuckling. "My name is Luca, by the way. Remember it, I want to hear you scream it later tonight." He grabbed for me, but I evaded his hands.

A weird kind of fight ensued, with the two vampires trying to grip me and me dodging them. A voice, cold as ice, interrupted the attempts of my attackers to hold me down. "You better leave her alone, right now!"

The vampires froze and turned around to face the newcomer: Alec. I had never been happier to see him.

"Oh, look," the vampire named Luca said. "Our pretty little girl has a pretty little boyfriend. Do you also want to come and play?"

Alec smiled. It looked scary. "Believe me, you don't want to play with me. You wouldn't like my kind of games."

The bigger of the two vampires started guffawing. "Luca, you can have the girl, I want him instead. What's your name, little boy?"

„My name would be Alec," Alec answered, still smiling eerily.

You could see the exact moment in their eyes, when the two vampires realized, who it was they were dealing with. Slowly they started to back up. They didn't get far, though, before they dropped to the ground, their eyes staring into nothing. They should have known that a vampire's size wasn't equivalent with his dangerousness.

I went to each of them and kicked them both as hard as I could. It wasn't exactly reasonable to kick someone, whose senses had been cut off, but it made me feel better. Alec didn't laugh at my absurd outbreak. He just went from one motionless vampire to the other and tore them apart in a practiced way. Soon, there were only two quickly burning fires where the vampires had been.

Alec took my hand. „Let's go. There will be only two piles of ashes left, before people come to investigate the fires."

He sighed, while we left the park hand in hand without even once looking back. „I just wish, I could have had a little more time with them. Their deaths were far too easy and painless."

I didn't say anything to that, because truthfully, a part of me agreed. Also, now that I wasn't on high alert anymore, I was beginning to feel increasingly tired and shaky. I had never felt tired as a vampire before, but I did now.

Alec watched me concerned. "I know a nice little hotel nearby. You may want to lie down for a bit."

Acquiring a room for the night wasn't a problem, once Alec had shown one of his creditcards to the receptionist, but walking up the stairs was. My shaking had become so bad that I could barely stand anymore, much less climb stairs. Alec didn't comment, just picked me up into his arms and carried me to our room. He put me carefully on the bed and tried to step away, but I pulled him back. "Could you just hold me for a little while?"

Alec lay down next to me without saying anything. I buried my face in his chest, while clinging onto him as if my life depended on it. He stroke my back soothingly, and after some time had passed I loosened my death grip a little, feeling embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I don't know, what's wrong with me. I wasn't acting this weird the day I thought I would die."

Alec was silent for so long that I thought he wouldn't respond, but finally he spoke. "There are worse things than death out there, I know that better than anyone. Tonight, you barely escaped one of these things. It's normal for you to have a stress reaction afterwards. And don't forget, after the trial you also had a breakdown, later in my room after we had talked."

The rest of the night Alec just held me in his arms, neither of us talking.

It was almost noon till my shaking had completely subsided and I could let go of Alec. "Thank you," I said to him earnestly. "For holding me last night and for saving me earlier. That's now the second time."

Alec swept a few strands of hair from my face, his touch tender. "You don't have to thank me for that. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you." He looked apprehensive. "Maybe we should do your training another day. There will be other concerts. You have had enough stress."

I shook my head. "I am alright, now. It's cloudy today, we should do something before the concert. Just nothing too exiting, I'm more in the mood for something peaceful and quiet."

Alec raised his eyebrows at me and I rolled my eyes in return. "Really, I'll be fine."

Alec grimaced. "That's what you said before I left you in the park."

I smiled at him. "Yes, but today I will have you with me all the time. So I know for a fact that I will be fine."

Alec's answering smile was beautiful. "Peaceful and quiet it is then. I think, I know just the right place to take you to.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Alec stubbornly refused to tell me, where we were going. When we arrived at the mystery location, it turned out to be a greenhouse of enormous proportions. Then I saw the sign: 'La Casa delle Farfalle'.

„A butterfly house! That is so great!"

Alec looked pleased. While he bought our tickets, he told me a few facts. "It's the first butterfly house ever to be built in Italy. It consists of three parts, each a different kind of exotic garden: Amazonian, Afro-tropical and Indo-australian. More than four hundred species of the most colorful butterflies can be found here."

Once I had stepped into the building, I felt as if I had entered a different world. I was surrounded by luscious, tropical greenery and beautiful exotic flowers. Butterflies were everywhere, like multicolored flying gems. Because it was a workday, Alec and I were almost alone with each other. For some time I just wandered around, marveling at the beauty around me.

As soon as I stopped walking, a butterfly descended and landed on my outstretched hand. After the first a second followed and after a little while I had dozens of butterflies sitting on my hair, skin and clothes. It was captivating. I looked over to Alec, who was watching me with a light smile on his face. The butterflies were not coming to him.

"It's your scent," Alec said in answer to my puzzled expression. "You have a very distinctive flowery scent. It is quite alluring. It's no wonder the butterflies feel drawn to you."

"Really?" I asked surprised. No one had ever told me that before.

Alec nodded. "Your scent is very appealing. It was the reason I came to the roof that first night we met. I was following it."

I snickered. "Just like a butterfly, you mean?"

Alec ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "You are impossible, you know that? No more compliments for you."

I laughed and started to walk around again. As soon as I moved, the butterflies soared up in a glittering cloud. But whenever I would halt my steps to inspect some especially interesting plant, others would take their place. Time passed without me even noticing. Eventually, Alec told me that we had to leave for the concert.

I was glad that we would see one of the softer music bands I had chosen on Alec's list. Listening to Heavy Metal after spending my day with butterflies would have been too much of a culture shock. I was actually looking forward to the concert by now. I was feeling relaxed and I wasn't thirsty at all. I was sure that by concentrating on the music, I wouldn't mind all the humans surrounding me.

**o****oooooooooooooooooooooo**

Boy, had I been wrong. The large room, in which the concert was taking place, was crowded. Normally, in situations with humans my talent is a big help. Standing in a big crowd of moving human bodies wasn't one of them. Since everyone overlooked me, I was getting constantly jostled and tripped over. It didn't hurt me, but it was more than a little annoying, and I grew more agitated with each passing minute.

Some oblivious male bumped against me for the umpteenth time and I snarled at him, before I could stop myself. He gave me a confused look, but Alec hauled me away and soon afterwards the human had forgotten all about me. I, on the other hand, was still growling low in my throat. The next sweaty human, who jostled me, would make contact with the floor – face first.

Alec prevented my impending loss of control by pulling me right in front of him, my back leaning against his body. He wrapped an arm losely around my waist, his hand resting on my stomach. Because the humans gave Alec instinctively a wide berth, I was finally able to get a little breathing space and actually listen to the music that was playing.

Soon, I was lost in the rythm, my hips softly starting to sway. Alec let out a sharp hiss and his grip around my waist tightened. I froze. Without even noticing, I had been rubbing against him.

Alec leaned over my shoulder, his mouth almost touching my ear. "Tease me like that again and I will tease you a little in return."

For a short moment I considered stepping away from Alec, but one look at the wriggling mass of humans surrounding us and I dropped that idea immediately. I simply stood straight as a rail. After a while, though, I was once again drawn into the music, and unconsciously, I began to move my hips in a slow, dancing motion.

Before I knew it, Alec had caught both of my wrists, holding them with one hand and pressing me tight against his body with the other. I tried to stomp on his foot, but he sidestepped me easily and growled. It was a low, reverberating sound that vibrated through my body.

"Play nice, Anna. After all, I did warn you."

The still rational part of me knew that, if I struggled in earnest, Alec would instantly let go of me, but the bigger part of myself didn't seem willing to move. Alec pushed my hair aside and began to slowly kiss a trail from my ear down to the curve of my neck. I gasped, when I felt his teeth pressing against my skin. He pulled back shortly before penetrating it and gave the spot he had bitten a soft kiss. If I still had a hearbeat, it would be racing frantically by now. I felt dizzy. Traces of his venom were left behind from the bite, cool on my skin against his breath. I shivered. His hand on my stomach drew little circles around my navel. My muscles constricted under his touch, sending little shock waves through my body. I groaned and Alec suddenly let go of me, leaving me there standing alone.

"Your turn," he said calmly.

First, I was just confused. What was he talking about? But then my brain started to function again. I realized that Alec was giving me a choice, and he wanted me to make that choice being fully aware of what I was doing:

walk away or turn around to him

**ooo****oooooooooooooooooo**

**This cliffie goes out to all the readers, w****ho still haven't reviewed my story. HA! TAKE THAT! *laughs evilly***

So, what do you think will happen? Will Anna turn around or walk away?

**Review, please! The next chapter will be posted on Monday or Tuesday****.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing related to Twilight._

**Reviews:** Thank you all so much for the reviews and also a big thanks to the people, who put my story on alert. Keep it up and I'll keep up writing :-)

So, here is my new chapter. Enjoy.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

**Anna's Alec**

Walk away or turn around?

At first I simply stood there like a statue, not really knowing what to do. A huge part of me wanted to just turn around and ignore that pesky little voice of reason in my head. There was no sense in denying that I felt attracted to Alec and it wasn't even only that anymore - I had actually begun to like Alec.

Around me, he wasn't such a bad guy. He was funny and a good listener, he had comforted me all night, when I had needed it and even taken me to see butterflies afterwards, just to lift my spirits. Hell, he had saved my life not only once, but twice. If anyone had asked me a few months ago, if Alec was capable of doing any of those things, I would have laughed in his face.

The only problem was that there were two Alecs: Anna's Alec and Volturi's Alec.

And Volturi's Alec was a calculating, remorseless killer with a sadistic streak. I couldn't just ignore that, because Alec had been right that day of the ball: loving someone means to accept that person completely.

But I couldn't accept that side of him and I wasn't someone, who fooled around with somebody I couldn't see myself falling in love with.

And because of that I forced my body to walk away from Alec and disappeared in the crowd of humans.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooo**

I had been worried that Alec would take the rejection badly, but he didn't seem fazed by it at all. To be truthful, that didn't make me all too happy either, but I tried not to dwell on the possible reasons for that. At least, Alec's indifference meant that we could still spend time together, without it being awkward.

So a few days later we were sitting in the little patio garden of the Volturi castle and talked. Todays point of discussion was: If you could have two weeks of your dream vacation, what would they be like?

I started first. "I think, I would go to the seychelles. There are islands, which are completely uninhabitated, so I wouldn't have to be careful around humans. They have beautiful beaches and a great flora and fauna. I really would like to see the giant tortoises. And I already told you that I love the sea. It would be fun to explore the coral reefs, especially now that I don't have to breathe anymore."

"Hm," was Alec's noncommittal answer.

"What?" I asked, slightly offended that my dream vacation was met with so little approval.

"Well, there is just one little problem with your dream vacation: If there are no humans around, you would have to start eating animals. Not only do they taste horrible, but I really can't see you as an animal eater. You are a lot more fond of them than you are of humans."

I frowned. „I am not."

„Oh, really? Answer me this question then: who would you rather kill – bambi or some beer gutted middle aged guy, who hits on you, even though you look like a fifteen year old," Alec challenged me.

"Alright, I would just take a supply of human donor blood with me then, in a cooler or something like that."

Alec grimaced. „Yes, because you would have electricity for the cooler on your inhabitated island. Besides, that stuff tastes like sour milk."

"Well, there are islands, which are inhabitated, but get visited by tourists during a short time of the day. I could choose one of those or I could find a cooler with batteries, solar panels or whatever. Problem solved." I waved my hand impatiently in Alec's direction. "Anyway, what would your vacation be?"

"A war zone."

I looked at Alec to see, if he was joking. Apparently he wasn't. "I fail to see the 'vacation' or 'dream' part in that."

Alec smiled. "First of all, it would be rather exiting. There are not many things that can kill a vampire, but getting hit by a bomb should do it. Of course, we are fast enough to avoid that unfortunate ending, but it would still provide for a little suspense."

I just shook my head at that. "You are completely nuts."

Alec ignored me. "And unlike your 'starvation diet' vacation, my vacation would provide me with plenty of humans. They could disappear by the dozens, screaming, and no one would think any of it."

I furrowed my brow. "What would you even want with dozens of humans? No old vampire needs to drain that many in just two weaks."

Alec shrugged. "Who said, I would want them all for food?"

I gaped at him. He was talking about torturing and killing them for fun. That was the reason, why it was so appealing to him that no one would mind any screaming. "You are disgusting! Completely and utterly disgusting!"

Alec didn't get a chance to react to my little outbreak, because we got interrupted by a gorgeous female vampire. Her body was curvy, her skin could be almost called tanned and her long hair was jet black. It contrasted beautifully with her bloodred eyes. "Alec!" She exclaimed. „How wonderful to see you again!"

Alec's reply was far less enthusiastic. "Hello Carmen." He looked at me. „Anna, this is Carmen, a Spanish nomad." He looked back. "Carmen, this is Anna. She is staying with the Volturi for a while."

Carmen gave me a short onceover and then obviously dismissed me as unimportant. She sat down next to Alec and laid a hand on his arm. Alec shook her off. "Carmen, what makes you think, I would welcome getting touched by you?"

"Alec, we slept together!"

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep me from laughing out loud. "Alec, since karma is making a visit, ah, I mean Carmen of course, I'll leave you alone now." I tried to stand up, but Alec grabbed my arm and pulled me back down.

"We haven't finished our discussion yet."

I rolled my eyes. „Alec, a discussion implies that we both listen to the arguments of the other and then rethink and maybe even change our own standpoints. But there is no way in hell that I would ever accept you torturing and killing humans for fun. So we can just spare ourselves the hassle and forget this topic." I made again an effort to get up, but Alec didn't let go of my wrist.

"You weren't this morally outraged, when I told you in Padua that I wished I could have tortured your two attackers before killing them. That would have been just for the fun of it."

„Well, those two would have had it coming," I retorted. "They have, without a doubt, tortured people themselves in their lives, through raping and who knows what."

"Ah, you are an old testament girl," Alec said and smiled. "An eye for an eye and all that."

I shrugged. „I never said that I was the nicest person on earth, but this is beside the point. You are talking about people you know nothing about. They very likely wouldn't deserve your kind of fun and torturing innocents or killing them for the fun of it is abhorrent to me."

"If you think that Alec's actions are that horrible, maybe you shouldn't be spending time with him," Carmen replied with a spiteful look on her face.

"She definitely has a point," I said to Alec and tried, once again, to leave, but Alec still wouldn't let me. The glare he gave Carmen made her flinch, but she held her ground.

"Come on, Alec, you know I am right. Everybody knows what kind of person you are, and if she doesn't like it, she should either grow up or pester someone else with her dewy-eyed world view."

I shook my head. "To be like you two isn't being grown up, it's having grown cold."

Carmen sneered at me. "You are such a naive little idiot. How old a vampire are you? Five?"

I certainly wouldn't tell that bitch that I was in fact only three. While I was still trying to come up with some snappy comeback, Alec gave Carmen the typical scary smile he wore, when someone was about to get hurt. She froze.

"Carmen," Alec said softly, "if you ever speak to her in that way again, I will rip out your tongue. I am so mad right now that it would be best for your health, if you left us alone immediately."

He didn't need to say that twice. Carmen fled as if hellhounds were chasing her.

"Well, I can't say that I am sorry to see her gone," I said and looked down to the ground. "But she was right, though. I am a naive little idiot. Not for having morals, but because I spend my time voluntarily with a remorseless and sadistic killer. I shouldn't let myself forget that there are two sides of you: not only Anna's Alec, but also the Volturi's Alec."

The corners of Alec's mouth twitched. He was obviously trying to suppress a grin. "Anna's Alec?"

If I had still been human, I would be blushing furiously by now. "I didn't mean it like it probably sounded. It's just what I call your nice side, because it's what I get to see. I don't really know Volturi's Alec."

Alec pondered that. "Would you like to get to know Volturi's Alec?"

I shuddered. "No, I wouldn't like him. That's why I walked away at the concert. Because you were right: If you really care about someone, you should be able to accept him like he is. I couldn't do that in your case."

Alec looked down at his hands. "I see."

He looked up again and smiled at me, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "You should still spend as much time as possible with me, though."

I raised my eyebrows. "And why is that?"

"Because around you I'm always Anna's Alec, and he is a lot less dangerous than Volturi's Alec. Had Carmen been talking to Volturi's Alec just now, she wouldn't have gotten off so lightly."

I snorted. "Yes, you were the epitome of forgiveness in that situation. Mother Theresa would have had nothing on you."

Alec smiled again, this time it was a real one. "What? I didn't kill her, did I. I didn't even hurt her, I just warned her. So you see, by spending time with me you practically make the world a safer place."

"Yes, this year's Nobel Prize for Peace will be mine for sure," I muttered to myself. But I didn't leave.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

A few days later, while being on my way to Heidi's room, I ran into Carmen. I decided that there was no harm in being polite. "Hello Carmen," I greeted her.

She started walking alongside me. "From what I've heard, you are sort of Alec's new pet project. I'm wondering just how much he is teaching you."

Okay, maybe there was harm. I smiled sweetly. "If you are implying that Alec and I are having sex, I must disappoint you. But I don't blame you for assuming that. He hasn't exactly been chaste in his past. Isn't it astounding that there are so many women out there, who were slutty enough to have a one-night stand with him?" Ha! Take that, Miss 'Alec, we slept together'!

Carmen was obviously struck speechless for the moment, so I ignored her and knocked on Heidi's door. She greeted me with a warm smile, which I returned. Her expression wasn't nearly as friendly, when she gave a short nod in Carmen's direction. Not that I could blame her.

"Hi Heidi, Alec sends me. I'm so sorry that you had to go shopping for me again. I didn't know about it until now," I said apologetic.

"I don't mind. I like to shop and it's always good to be in Alec's good graces," Heidi replied. She held up her purchase: a simple black bathing suit. "I bought a rather plain one, because the less attention you draw to yourself around the humans, the better," she explained. "Going swimming today with Alec will be a very difficult training session for you. Today's swimsuits put just so much skin and veins on display."

I sighed. „Yeah, I'm not really looking forward to that, either. But Alec said that the chlorine will help, because it masks the scents."

Heidi grinned. „On the other hand it also has its perks that today's swimsuits are so revealing. Alec will probably be as tortured around you as you will be around the humans."

I laughed at that. I was sure that Alec couldn't care less about seeing some plain vampire girl in an equally plain bathing suit.

Carmen seemed to share my thoughts. "Oh please," she sneered. „Alec has seen the most beautiful women naked. Seeing her," she gave me a disdainful look, "in a bathing suit won't get his interest."

Heidi returned Carmen's sneer with a catty smile of her own. "But the difference in this case is that he actually likes Anna."

I grinned at Carmen's outraged expression. "What's the matter, Carmen? Cat got your tongue?" I playfully hit myself with the palm of my hand against the head. "Oh, how stupid of me. If someone had taken your tongue, it would have been Alec."

I turned around and left, Heidi's laughter trailing after me. She had obviously heard of Alec's threat against Carmen.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Two hours later I was hiding in the lady's shower of the indoor swimming pool, Alec had taken me to. I took a deep breath. I could do this. I had managed the movies and the concert, I could manage being around so many veins on display. I slowly walked out of the shower and into the swimming area. The whole place was decorated in a tropical theme, with huge ferns and other plants with lots of green. There were several different sized pools with different depths and water attractions like hot tubs, waterfalls, warm outside swimming pools and many other things. There was more glass than solid walls, but since it was raining outside, Alec and I wouldn't have to worry about our little sparkle problem.

I spotted Alec leaning against a wall and stopped in my tracks. Alec in swimming trunks was definitely a sight to behold. And I wasn't the only one noticing it. Since it was a Sunday and bad weather, the place was well visited, and it looked as if the vast majority of the female and even some of the male guests were more or less openly ogling Alec. I started walking again, before Alec could see me doing the same. There was enough water around us anyway, I didn't need to add my drool to it.

I was only a few steps away from him, when he finally saw me, too. His eyes grew wide as he took in every inch of my body. I couldn't help but laugh at his stunned expression. It must have been some time since his last one-night stand, if my skinny, curveless body was getting such a reaction.

Alec snapped back into reality. "You were in the shower for so long that I was starting to wonder, if you killed someone in there."

I shook my head, smiling. "I was good." I gestured towards the pools. "After you."

Swimming was fun. For quite some time I amused myself by just romping around in the water, using different kind of swimming strokes like backstroke, butterfly and so on. In between I did underwater somersaults, handstands and some diving. When I finally calmed down enough to acknowledge Alec's presence again, he was openly laughing at me.

"You sure weren't kidding, when you told me that you love the water. You are exited like a little kid on its birthday. It's cute."

I splashed Alec to momentarily blind him and then lunged. I dunked him and he retaliated by grabbing me and pulling me with him under water. After we had resurfaced he wagged his finger at me. "No fighting around the humans." He pointed over to one of the hot tubs. "How about we try one of these?"

I nodded and followed him into the warm water, laying down on the lounge next to his. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the bubbles against my skin. The voices of some teenage girls brought me out of my dreamlike state. When I opened my eyes, I saw no less than six girls, who had apparently gotten up the nerve to approach Alec. I snickered at his disgruntled expression.

"Sorry, but I am here with someone." He pointed at me.

The girls looked at me, confused. My talent made me utterly unremarkable to them and they obviously didn't see, what my appeal to someone as stunning as Alec was. Not that a vampire would have understood that any better.

"Her?" One of the girls finally asked, disbelief heavy in her voice.

„Yes, her." Alec retorted, looking more and more annoyed. „Now leave us alone."

The girls fled and Alec closed his eyes, relaxing in the water. I used the opportunity to shamelessly ogle his perfect body. Unfortunately, he suddenly opened his eyes again and caught me staring at him.

"Wondering what sex with me would be like?" He asked me, sounding smug.

I raised my eyebrows at his arrogance. Time to get rid of the smugness. "Well, that is an interesting question, after all. I mean, you have had so many sex partners, but always as one-night stands only. That makes one wonder, if that's really because you want it that way, or rather because the women think that once was enough."

"What?"

I held my hands up as a sign of peace. "Hey, don't look at me like that. It's not my fault that you are a lousy lay."

The next second Alec was hovering above me, his eyes boring into mine. "You know," he said in a low, dangerous purr, "some would consider this a challenge."

I padded him on his head. "I understand that you might feel the need to practice some more, but -" I didn't get farther than that, because Alec tried to grip my hands. I had expected him to do something like that, though, and managed to squirm out from under him. I wagged my finger at him in a mock imitation of him earlier. "No fighting around the humans."

Alec gave me a predatory smile. „Fine. But don't think that this is over. Once we are home, we are going to continue our little discussion. In private."

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

**To my readers: **Sorry guys, no turning around… yet :-)

**Next update will probably be on Friday or Saturday.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing related to Twilight._

**Reviews:** Thanks to everyone who wrote me reviews, put me on story alert and/or under favorites. You guys are the reason I keep on writing. Some of you commented on my crazy comma putting ways. Yeah, sorry about that, but the English comma rules are really confusing to me. I'm German and our comma rules are completely different. I'll try to do better, but I don't know how much success I'll have :-)

Anyway, here's the new chapter. Enjoy.

**oooooooooooooooooooooo**

**Hanna and Alex**

The rest of my swimming adventure with Alec had been harmless fun, but I didn't kid myself into thinking that he would just forget the hot tub incident. So, back in his room at the Volturi castle, the first thing I did was confront him about it. "If you think that I will sleep with you, just so you can prove your sexual prowess to me, you are sadly mistaken."

Alec looked at me, a Cheshire Cat kind of smile on his face. "I don't think we would have to go that far to prove that sex with me would be unforgettable."

I slowly backed my way up to the door. "If you lay so much as a finger on me, I will beat you like a pinata."

Alec's smile widened even more. „Hmm, then I guess I will have no choice but to use my talent on you and chain you to the floor first."

I vigorously crushed the part of me that found his threat strangely appealing. "Don't you dare using your powers on me! That would be cheating." My back hit the doorknob. "And anyway, your whole idea wouldn't prove a thing. I don't have any means of comparison, remember? So how would I even know if you are substandard or not?" I clasped my hands in front of my mouth in mock realization. „Oh my God, that's why you don't want me to sleep with anyone else, isn't it?"

Alec's jaw dropped almost to the floor. "You are so dead."

I gave him a hug with one arm, while opening the door with the other. "You don't have to threaten me, Alec. I swear that I won't tell anyone about your little problem. It will be our secret," I said and then I bolted.

I didn't get far down the hallway, though, until I got tackled from behind. I crashed to the floor with a deafening bang and before I had recovered from the impact Alec was sitting on my back, my hands tied in one of his, the other hand pressing my neck to the ground.

"Ouch. Was that really necessary?" I asked, my voice muffled against the floor.

Alec laughed. "You were the one, who didn't want me to use my powers, remember?"

"Well, your ways of wooing a woman are not impressing me so far."

"Are you alright, Anna?" A new voice asked. I knew that voice.

„Yes, Corin. I'm just peachy keen. Laying on the floor on my stomach with Alec sitting on my back is a dream come true for me." I said exasperated. "How about you help me instead of asking stupid questions."

Alec tightened his grip. "Oh no, no one will help her. This doesn't concern any of you."

"Any of you?" I asked horrified. „How many people are there?"

"Let's just say that the sound of your impact with the floor got some attention," Alec said, laughter evident in his voice.

I groaned. "Alright, Alec. What do I have to do to get you off my back? Literally."

"Hmm, I don't know. What do you offer?" Alec replied, his voice suggestive.

I snorted. „If you're hoping that you will get sex or even a kiss out of this, you better prepare yourself to sit here for eternity."

Some muffled laughter, but mostly shocked gasps surrounded me. From the sound of it, Alec and I were attracting quite a crowd. I needed to think of something to get out of this, and I needed to think of it fast. The problem was that I was fairly sure that Alec wouldn't let me go until I offered him at least something from the range of physical affection. It had to be tempting enough, but still not cross the border between friends.

"Alright," I said. "If you promise me to forget the whole hot tub discussion, including the aftermath, and let me get up, then I will give you a backrub for half an hour. But your shirt doesn't come off."

Alec pondered my suggestion for a while. "One hour and my shirt does come off."

I sighed. That was walking the line between friends pretty close, but it would have to do. "Fine. But no other clothes will be removed, and if you don't keep your hands to yourself, my part of the deal will be considered fulfilled immediately."

Alec jumped off my back. "Done."

I got up and looked around me disbelievingly. Almost the entire guard had been watching our little intermezzo, faces stunned. Alec dragged me away with him before I could die from sheer embarrassment.

Back in Alec's room he took off his jacket and opened the buttons of his shirt one by one. I couldn't help but watch his fingers, mesmerized, as they slowly worked their way to the bottom. I knew he was doing it on purpose. Being a vampire he could have completely undressed and redressed himself in mere seconds, but I couldn't stop staring anyway. When his shirt fluttered to the floor and he stretched himself, I thought my eyes would pop out. I had to be looking like a complete idiot by now.

Alec ignored my transformation into a drooling moron and made himself comfortable on the bed in his room. Ugh, his bed. I hadn't even thought about that part. I had never gone near it before, because I was sure that he used it only for one thing, and it wasn't sleeping.

Hesitant, I walked over to him. Alec lay on his stomach in the middle of the bed and since it wasn't exactly small, I had no choice but to climb on top of it. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to reach him. I sat down cross-legged and took a deep breath. This was just a back massage.

I slowly ran my hands down his back. His skin was smooth as marble and felt soft like silk at the same time. Alec sighed languorously and closed his eyes. I kept repeating to myself like a mantra that a simple backrub didn't mean anything. Maybe, if I told myself the same thing often enough, I would eventually believe it. Because it sure didn't feel to me right now like it meant nothing.

Once I had truly started the massage I stopped thinking about the awkwardness of the situation. Alec just felt good under my hands and he smelled even better. Unconsciously I leaned closer to him, breathing in his scent.

Alec turned himself to the side and looked into my eyes. I stared back, hypnotized. Gently he pulled me down till I laid next to him. His eyes never broke contact with mine. When he drew me even nearer I didn't offer any resistance. My brain had, once again, ceased to function in his presence. His lips ghosted over my face: my forehead, my eyebrows, my cheeks, my chin. My whole skin was tingling, but that was nothing compared to the electric shock that went through my body when his lips finally touched mine. His kiss instantly intensified and a second later I was laying on my back with Alec on top of me. There was nothing soft about our kiss anymore. It was hungry, almost desperate. Alec's body was pressed tightly against mine, but it still wasn't close enough for me. My limbs felt like they had molten lava flowing through them. Alec's mouth drew a flaming path down my neck to my collarbone and I arched against him.

A sudden knock on Alec's door interrupted us. Alec actually growled against my skin. "What?" He snarled.

„It's Corin. I wanted to ask if Anna is in your room. If she is, she might want to come with me and meet two friends of mine who are here for a short visit."

"What is this, Volturi visiting week?" Alec muttered irritated under his breath. „Anna is busy," he said louder, so that Colin could hear him.

"No, I am not," I answered back equally loud. With the thoughts returning to my head I realized what I had almost done. I couldn't believe how stupid I had been. Alec was like some sort of brain paralyzing toxin. Thank God for Corin.

"You are not leaving now. And especially not with Corin," Alec hissed at me.

I didn't try to argue with him. I knew it wouldn't be of any use. I simply kicked him off the bed and shot out of the room to meet a startled looking Corin. "Your room?" He nodded and I practically ran down the hallways to meet his friends.

**ooooooooooooooooooooo**

Corin's friends turned out to be a nice couple of 'vegetarian' vampires, named Eleazar and Carmen. I had heard of them, of course. There weren't that many animal drinkers among vampires which made the few in existance rather famous. We didn't get beyond introductions, though, because we got disturbed by a fully clothed, very mad Alec.

"Could I talk to you, Anna?" He asked me through clenched teeth.

"There is nothing to talk about, Alec. I can't believe that you actually tried to seduce me just to prove your talents in bed. That's not how people act towards each other in a friendship."

„Friendship?" Alec replied, sounding cold and disgusted. "What makes you think that we are friends? Let me assure you that we are not friends and we never will be, because frankly, I do not want to be your friend." After that he left without another glance in my direction.

I felt as if I had been hit in the stomach. Nomad Carmen had been right: I was a naive little idiot. All the nice things he had said and done had let me to believe that he cared about me, but it all had been a ruse to get me into his bed. After all the centuries he obviously had felt the need for a little challenge. He had even told me after the trial that the reason he had saved me was because he was feeling bored. I couldn't believe that I had forgotten that.

I must have looked devastated, because Carmen came over to me and took me into a tight embrace without saying a word. I felt venom burning behind my eyes. I would have cried if I could.

"Don't let this get to you," Eleazar said quietly. "You are not the fool here for thinking that you were friends. Alec is, for not wanting any friends. I used to be on the guard for decades, so I was around Alec for quite some time. Believe me, he never wanted to be friends with anyone. He has his sister and she's all he will ever care about."

Corin didn't say anything for some time, just watched me. Eventually he seemed to reach some kind of decision and sighed. "Alec didn't mean his words like you interpreted them. I can see why Eleazar and Carmen misunderstood him, but you Anna? You have been around him for weeks now. You are so oblivious it's almost funny."

I stared at him quizzically.

"Anna," he continued in a slightly irritated voice. "Alec doesn't want to be your friend, because he is in love with you. You calling the relationship between you two a friendship is the last thing he ever wanted to hear."

I wasn't sure, who looked the most disbelieving after Corin's explanation – Eleazar, Carmen, or me.

Corin rolled his eyes. "Alright, let me tell you a little story then. Once upon a time, there was a kingdom ruled by three mighty stone kings. They had a guard consisting of powerful stone knights. One of the knights and his sister were more feared than all the other knights combined, and they were as cold as the stone they were made of. Let's call the knight Alex."

I grimaced at that. „Funny, Corin."

He continued as if I hadn't said anything. „One day, three prisoners were brought to the kings to be trialed and executioned the next day. The youngest of the three prisoners was a beautiful, witty and spirited young girl. Let's call her Hanna."

I snorted at his description of me. "Yeah, right."

Corin gave me a stern look. "This is my story, be quiet. Anyway, Alex spoke to Hanna the night before the trial and after that night his cold heart had melted. He couldn't bear the thought of her death, so he went to the mightiest of the three kings and asked for her life. The king granted him his wish, since Alex was one of his favorite knights, and Hanna was given into Alex' care. Alex knew that he had earned himself a gruesome reputation over the years, and because of that he didn't expect Hanna to return his feelings immediately. But he also knew that he would have a lot of time to change her feelings towards him. So he decided to be patient."

I snorted again at that.

Corin frowned at me. "Unfortunately, since Alex had never been in love before, there were times when he didn't exactly deal well with his new feelings. Usually when he thought that she might never like him back or when he got afraid she might like someone else. But he also thought of a clever way to endear himself to her. He knew that she wouldn't voluntarily spend time with him, but she had to be around him for some special training the king had ordered, so he worked with those opportunities. His first attempt, taking her shopping, wasn't much of a success, since Hanna didn't like clothes much and shopping even less, but he couldn't have known that. A lot of girls would have liked his idea. His next attempts were better, though. He took Hanna to the movies to see a horror film, because she enjoyed those. He took her to the concert of a band she liked. He took her swimming, because she loved the water. And his plan worked: Hanna began to like Alex, she even started to spend her free time with him. But sadly for Alex, she still didn't like him enough. She saw him merely as a friend. His heart turned to ice again. The End."

"Poor Alex," Carmen said wistfully.

Eleazor and me both gave her incredulous looks. "What?" She defended herself. "He obviously loves her and she doesn't love him back. That's sad, even if it is Alec we are really talking about."

I buried my face in my hands. "You are right Corin, I _am_ oblivious. He's been taking me on dates, hasn't he?" I laughed weakly. "I've been dating Alec without even knowing it."

Corin simply nodded, Eleazar and Carmen didn't say anything.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooo**

I left Corin and his two friends shortly after my realization, because I wasn't able to concentrate on anything else. To calm myself down I decided to take a bath. I spent hours in the water, thinking about whether knowing that Alec was in love with me changed anything or not. I wasn't really able to reach a conclusion to that question, because in a way Alec being in love with me changed everything and nothing. I didn't have to be afraid anymore that he would just sleep with me and then discard me like so many other women. But it didn't change that I didn't have the same feelings towards him. Or did I? I didn't have the same feelings for Volturi's Alec, that was for sure. Could my feelings for Anna's Alec be enough? No, that wouldn't be fair to Alec. But so tempting…

Eventually, I decided that it would be best for both of our sakes, if I continued to keep my distance towards him. Or at least tried to keep my distance. My previous attempts at doing that couldn't exactly be seen as stellar examples in containing oneself.

Sighing I left the bathtub and walked over to the towel rack by the door. I had almost reached it when suddenly the bathroom door opened. I had been so lost in thoughts that I must have forgotten to lock it. The man standing in the doorframe was about as shocked as I was, although he didn't scream like I had in the first moment of surprise. We continued to stare at each other for some time, both of us frozen into statues. I realized that I knew him, although I had never actually talked to him much. His name was Santiago, he was one of the guards and a friend of Heidi.

I took a tentative step backwards and slipped on one of the soapy puddles I had left behind while walking to the towel rack. Santiago caught me before I hit the floor. I looked up in his face and couldn't help but grin at the absurdity of the situation. He returned my smile with a wide one of his own. Obviously he had begun to see the humor in all of this, too.

This was how Alec found us when he arrived at the door just a second later. He had apparently heard my scream. Me being in Santiago's arms, dripping wet and completely naked, smiling at each other.

This couldn't possibly be good.

**ooooooooooooooooooooo**

**The next chapter will get posted on Monday or Tuesday. It will contain some mild lemony fun, enough to warrant a****n M rating.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing related to Twilight._

**Information:** This story is labeled Romance/Humor. There will be some drama along the way, I didn't make Alec's and Anna's characters so different from each other for no reason. It's also no coincidence that Anna hates the Volturi leaders, but has to stay with them, there's still the unresolved matter of Jane, and I didn't introduce the Denalis in the last chapter just for the fun of it. But the tenor of this story will always be humorous and the main topic will always be the relationship between Anna and Alec.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because after the last chapter I got two very hurtful reviews from the same person, telling me that my story shouldn't revolve around Anna and Alec so much because it's uninteresting, and that I should get rid of the humor because it prevents people from taking my story seriously. So basically my romance/humor story should have a lot less romance and no humor in it. This is not going to happen. Humor is something very subjective, so I don't expect everyone to like my story, but if you don't like it, just stop reading it. Don't write me reviews that make me want to hide under my blanket and cry.

But I also got a lot of really nice reviews. Quite a few actually because people saw the two earlier mentioned reviews and wanted to assure me that they like my story. As a result my last chapter got more reviews than the others before. I also got some very supportive private messages to my account, encouraging me. Thanks guys, I'm very touched that there are people out there who feel so passionate about my story. I'm mentally hugging you all right now :-)

**Warning: This chapter contains a little lemon at the end. If you are uncomfortable with mature themes, skip this chapter. The story will still make sense. You've been warned.**

**oooooooooooooooooooooo**

**Business Deal**

The emotions on Alec's face changed so fast that I couldn't make out a single one of them. Finally, his expression settled into a blank mask. Shortly afterwards Santiago dropped to the floor. Alec had used his talent on him. He closed the door and locked it from the inside.

I rushed over to him. "Alec, wait. This is just a misunderstanding. Don't cut off my senses, let me explain this."

Alec gave me a cold smile. "I'm not going to cut off your senses. I want you to see what I will do to him, so you won't make the same mistake twice."

"But nothing happened!" I said, exasperated.

Alec didn't even seem to hear me. "I can smell his scent on you," he said in an eerily quiet voice. "It should make me hate you, but it doesn't. Why can't I hate you even after this?"

I gave Alec a soft push against his chest. "Alec, will you snap out of it? His scent is on me, because he caught me when I slipped on the wet floor. And he just walked in on me by accident, because I forgot to lock the door."

Alec listened to my words, but they didn't seem to reach him. It was as if he was not completely there. My explanation didn't make any difference at all. I grabbed him and pressed my lips to his. It was a desperate kind of measure to take, but I didn't know what else to do anymore. So much for my resolve to keep my distance. It had lasted the amazing amount of five minutes. At least I got Alec's attention. He crushed me against him and returned my kiss with a fervor that was almost frantic. His hands ran down my back which reminded me that I still wasn't wearing any clothes. I broke the kiss and looked into his eyes. "Corin told me that you are in love with me. Are you?"

Alec smiled sardonically. "If I say 'yes', will you ask me to spare Santiago because of my feelings for you?"

I almost sighed in relief. He was listening to me again. "No. If you say 'yes', I'm going to ask you how it is possible to be in love with someone you don't know at all."

He looked confused. "What?"

"Alec, I'm a really straightforward person. Some might say, a little too straightforward. I'm not the kind of person who has some sort of secret love affair and lies about it. If I did fancy someone I would tell it to your face and demand that you just deal with it."

Alec's corners of the mouth turned up in what looked like real amusement. "You would, wouldn't you?"

"You bet I would. And I'm telling you that this is just a stupid misunderstanding. He walked in on me by accident and caught me when I fell. That's all." I gestured over to Santiago. „Now give him back his senses and then you and I need to talk."

"I will give Santiago back his senses after you have put some clothes on. He has seen you naked often enough. Then we can have a talk in my room."

I couldn't believe that I had forgotten again about the lack of clothes on my body. A few seconds later I had rectified that situation and Alec had given Santiago back his senses. It took a while longer to convince him that nothing bad had happened to him and that Alec wasn't going to enact some type of horrible revenge in the future.

When the three of us left the bathroom we got quite a few glances from vampires passing down the hallway. I wondered what that was all about, but I couldn't really get myself to care, because I felt too emotionally wrung out.

In Alec's room I simply let myself drop on one of his couches while he took a seat across from me. "Alec," I said tiredly, "you have to get that jealousy of yours under control. You scared me back there."

"I am sorry, Anna. It just hurt so much to see you in his arms. I don't deal well with pain - my own I mean," Alec said, sounding distraught.

I laughed a little bitterly. "That's kind of ironic, don't you think?"

Alec ran a hand through his hair. "You know why people call me and my sister the witch twins, right?"

I nodded tentatively. "You were being burned as witches at the stake when Aro saved you."

"Let's just say that that was only the tip of the iceberg concerning my sister's and my human life. We were both outcasts who got hurt physically and emotionally on a daily basis. We dealt with that pain in our own ways. Jane lashed out and I just went into this quiet place in my mind where I didn't feel anything anymore. I think it's why our talents developed into what they are. And it's why both Jane and I are so fascinated with pain in all its forms."

I mulled that over. It explained a lot about the twins, but it didn't change that most of their actions weren't by any means acceptable. "I understand why you became what you are today, Alec, but I still can't condone it. My human life consisted of mostly pain, too, but I don't go around and torture and kill for fun."

Alec smiled at me. "Yes, your talent just keeps people away. It's remarkably nonaggressive, considering it must be rooted in your painful human experiences. You certainly didn't develop it because you are shy. I still find it fascinating that someone as open as you has a talent like that."

I shrugged. "I only have a problem with larger groups. Single individuals I can deal with and some I actually like being around. My talent, once fully matured, will hopefully give me the means to avoid the masses and only interact with the few people I choose to talk to."

Alec nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. It's not as if you have made dozens of friends among the guard during your stay so far. Beside myself you only spend time around Felix, Corin and sometimes Heidi, if I think about it. You just seem much more social than you really are."

"Alec, this is all very interesting, but we are getting off topic. You need to promise me that you will get your jealousy under control, because one day I will meet someone I do like and you will have to be able to keep it together then."

Alec froze in his seat. "Not going to happen. I can promise you that in the future I will always listen to you first before jumping to conclusions, but if there is someone else you like I will guarantee for nothing."

I resisted the urge to pull out my hair in frustration. "Alec, you better accept the idea of me being with someone else, because I don't want to be alone forever."

Alec leaned forward, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "If I were you, I would give a relationship between you and me a try, because there will never be any other option for you. It's going to be either me or no one."

"I am not going to start a relationship with you just because you threaten me with eternal spinsterhood otherwise," I retorted annoyed. "I might feel attracted to you and I might even like some part of you, but I don't love you. And considering that you are the guy, who can't deal with his own pain, that scenario screams disaster to me."

Alec was suddenly in front of me, holding my chin in his hand and staring intently into my eyes. "Just give us a try," he whispered. "I know that part of you wants to. Stop fretting about things that might or might not happen and give us a chance."

I felt torn apart. Alec was right - part of me, and it wasn't a small part, wanted to simply give in. I just couldn't think with him so close. I scooted away. "Give me some time. I need a little distance. I can't think with you so close."

Alec followed my movements. "Isn't that how it's supposed to be? Stop overthinking everything so much."

"What happened to 'it's your turn' while giving me my space?"

"You don't really expect me to make the same mistake twice, do you?" Alec breathed against my skin. I closed my eyes, drowning in his scent. I was just so tired of fighting all the time. Fighting my bloodlust, fighting my sorrow over the deaths of my covenmates and fighting my attraction towards Alec. He knew I didn't return his feelings completely, he knew I probably never would. He still wanted a relationship with me and I just didn't have the strength anymore to walk the moral high ground on this. I opened my eyes again and looked into his. "Alright, Alec. We can try a relationship," I said prosaic.

Alec was so stunned, he just stared at me, not reacting in any way to my statement. After quite some time had passed, and he still hadn't moved, I was beginning to feel a little insecure. "That's what you want, isn't it? I mean, you just made the offer yourself a few minutes ago."

Alec blinked. "You make it sound like some sort of business deal." He grinned suddenly. "We should seal it with a kiss."

I laughed at that. "But we haven't even worked out all the terms of our agreement yet. First point on my list would be: no one else for you for the duration of our relationship."

"Sounds fair to me since I will kill anyone who touches you, relationship or no relationship. What's point two on your list?"

"Point two: We take things slow," I said quietly.

Alec cupped the side of my face with his hand. "I have no problem with point two."

I returned his look earnestly. "I'm not going to ask anything else of you, but in return I'm not making any promises, either."

Alec nodded slowly. "I understand and I accept."

In answer I pulled his head down till his lips met mine.

Alec returned my kiss, but it was different from his previous kisses. He didn't try to deepen it, it was a gentle, a very, very sweet kiss. I glanced into his eyes after he had broken away and the look in them was frightening to me. Not because it was actually scary, but because it was so tender. Some of my thoughts must have shown on my face, because Alec's expression shut down faster than I could blink.

"Getting second thoughts already?" Alec asked me coldly.

I shook my head. "No, I said that I would give us a try and I will."

This time it was Alec who pulled me towards him for a kiss. His lips were firm against mine, demanding. A little sharp pain in my lower lip caused me to gasp in surprise, and Alec slipped his tongue into my mouth. He had bitten me. But I forgot all about that when his tongue began a slow seductive dance with mine. Hundreds of years of kissing experience sure hadn't been wasted on Alec. I melted against him, wanting to feel more of his body. He picked me up and carried me over to his bed, never breaking the kiss. When he carefully laid me down I tensed and withdrew from him. "You do remember point two of our agreement, right?"

Alec smiled and positioned himself over me. "I do remember and I keep my promises."

I put a hand against his chest before he could start kissing me again. "Alec, your definition of slow and mine are maybe a little different from each other. Just to be on the safe side I want you to promise me that no clothes will come off tonight. Not mine, not yours."

Alec looked down at me, still smiling. "I promise."

I relaxed. I trusted him. He had never broken a promise to me, he wouldn't start now. Alec gave me a soft kiss on the inner corner of my eybrow. It tingled all the the way down to my toes. I closed my eyes and he gently kissed each of my eyelids. I could feel his body closer to mine when he leaned over and whispered a few featherlight kisses on the outer rim of my ear. He took my earlobe into his mouth and sucked softly. My eyes flew open and I arched against him. He moaned slightly and kissed a trail down my neck to the décolleté of my blouse. I tried to wrap my arms around him to pull him even closer, but he took my hand and put my index finger into his mouth instead. He slowly ran his tongue around my finger and then followed the trail he had just kissed on my skin with it. He bent down and blew softly against the wet path he was leaving all the way down to my neckline.

By now I felt as if someone had connected me to an electric wire. Tremors were running up and down my body and they intensified when I felt his hand moving slowly up the inner side of my leg. I was wearing a skirt, so Alec was touching my bare skin. He slipped his hand under my skirt and traced the hem of my underpants along my thighs and my stomach. After that he ran a finger across the little patch of skin between my panties and the skirt waistband, making my stomach muscles clench. When his hand suddenly rubbed against the material of my underpants, touching sensitive places, I cried out and closed my eyes again. Alec muffled the sound with a kiss, and at the same time his tongue slid into my mouth his hand slid under my panties. His fingers easily found my most sensuous spot, and while he circled it with one of his fingers, his tongue matched the movements in my mouth. Tongue and finger settled into a rhythm, stroking, exploring, and I could feel a wonderful kind of pressure building up in my body. The pleasure got more overwhelming with each passing second to the point where it almost hurt. I writhed under Alec's touch. Close, so close to something amazing.

Alec broke the kiss and his hand stilled. "Anna, open your eyes, I want you to look at me."

I opened my eyes and looked at him. So beautiful, so dangerous. With his eyes locked on mine, Alec slowly began to move his hand again, and a few skilled strokes later I was pushed over the edge. Little lights danced in my vision as waves of pleasure shook my body. The emotions were so intense that it felt as if they would break my body in tiny pieces if they lasted much longer. I might have screamed Alec's name, I am not sure.

Eventually the feelings that raced through my body calmed down and my vision cleared again. I stared at Alec, dazed. He chuckled at my expression and moved to lie beside me, pulling me into a tight embrace.

"Glad you enjoyed it," he whispered into my ear. "Now imagine what I will be able to do to you when the clothes do come off."

I shivered.

**ooooooooooooooooooooo**

**Next update will probably be on Friday.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing related to Twilight._

**Reviews:** Thank you so much for the really nice reviews I got after the last chapter. Also a big thanks to all those of you who put me on story alert and/or under favorites. A special thanks goes this week out to 'Oy Angelina' who mentioned my story on the last update of one of her amazing stories. If you don't know her stories yet, check them out, because if you like my story, you will definitely love hers.

**oooooooooooooooooooooo**

**Canal Rat**

The next day I was sitting alone in the patio garden and enjoying the sunshine on my skin. After my little epiphany last night Alec and I had spent the time until morning simply snuggled up to each other. When Alec had left in the morning to see Aro about some Volturi business he was still looking incredibly smug. I hadn't said anything, though, because truthfully? He had earned every bit of his smugness for at least today.

I sighed and thought about my new relationship. My relationship with the infamous witch twin Alec. I couldn't really wrap my head around that one. I tried it differently: 'Alec, self confessed hobby torturer and mass murderer is my boyfriend.' Nope, somehow that didn't sound any better.

Another unpleasant thought popped up in my head: Jane.

Until now Jane had completely ignored me, but I had the bad feeling that her behavior towards me would change quickly once Jane heard about her brother's changed single status. I buried my face in my hands and groaned. This was going to get ugly.

An unwelcome female voice interrupted my inner cursing. Fortunately it wasn't Jane, but I wasn't much happier about the alternative: nomad Carmen.

Why was she even still here? Wasn't there some other place she could haunt? I returned her greeting with a short nod in her direction. Maybe, if I was curt enough, she would just leave and grace someone else with her presence.

No such luck. She sat down next to me, a catty smile on her lips. "So, Anna, word among the Volturi is that you and Alec had sex on the bathroom floor and Santiago walked in on you."

I shook my head in disbelief. So that was why people had given Santiago, Alec and me these weird looks when they had seen us coming out of the bathroom together. "I am sorry to have to disappoint you yet again, Carmen, but I still haven't had sex with Alec. But since my sex life seems to be of such importance to you, let me inform you that Alec and I are in a relationship now. So there's a definite possibility for sex in the future. I can send you a postcard, if you want to, since you probably want to leave soon. After all it's not polite to overstay one's welcome."

Carmen laughed at me. "I don't know how you came to the conclusion that you and Alec are in a relationship, but I can assure you that you are deluding yourself. Alec doesn't do relationships. And if he ever chose to change his opinion on that matter it certainly wouldn't be because of someone like you."

A movement in my peripheral vision made me look to the side. "Well, I guess we can just ask him."

Alec reached us shortly afterwards and sat down beside me, ignoring Carmen completely. "Anna, I need to talk to you for a second."

Carmen snorted. "You sure do, Alec. Your little protégé here seems to be under the impression that you are her boyfriend."

Alec grinned at me. "You called me your boyfriend?"

"Ahm, actually I said that we are in a relationship," I answered a little flustered.

Alec leaned in and gave me a soft kiss on my lips. "You can call me your boyfriend, lover, partner, whatever you want. I don't mind."

I grinned. "Whatever I want?"

Alec shook his head and chuckled. "Whatever you want as long as it's something nice."

"You can't be serious, Alec!" Carmen burst out.

"Carmen, you are still here?" Alec replied coldly.

"I will leave you two lovebirds alone then," Carmen said and stood up, obviously offended.

Alec raised his eyebrows. "Just so that we are clear: I am not only talking about the patio right now. I want you to leave the castle completely. If you aren't gone by tomorrow I will see to it personally that you will be gone forever."

Carmen didn't say anything to that, just fled. I had no doubts that she would start packing immediately. Alec looked at me, a mischievous smile on his face. "What, no chastising me for my death threat against Carmen?"

I just gave him a soft kiss like he had given me. "What did you want to talk with me about?"

Alec frowned. "I have to leave on some Volturi business. The nomad that needs to be dealt with is in Italy at the moment, so it shouldn't take long. I'll probably be back by tomorrow. It will be a fast kill, since -"

I put a finger against Alec's mouth to stop him from talking. I really didn't want to know about the details of his assignment. For a short moment some emotion flashed in Alec's eyes, but it was too fast gone to identify. He kissed me again, forceful, as if to reassure himself.

Alec had just left when I got another visitor. Felix. "Hey Anna, what's that I heard about you, Santiago and Alec having some sort of tacky threesome in the bathtub? And why wasn't I invited?" He greeted me.

I groaned. "That's even worse than nomad Carmen's story. According to her I had sex with Alec on the bathroom floor and Santiago interrupted us."

Felix guffawed. "If you think the threesome is bad, then I guess you really don't want to hear about the especially kinky versions with Jane it."

I gaped at him. "Jane? She's Alec's sister, for crying out loud. How sick is that?"

Felix rubbed his chin. "Well, Alec isn't in those stories. At least not like that. Quite a few of the Volturi have noticed how Jane demonstratively ignores you in public, but has never hurt you even once. So some people have developed the idea that Alec acting interested in you is just a decoy to distract from the fact that there is a secret, epic love between you and his sister."

I just stared at Felix. "Are you serious?"

He nodded.

I shook my head in despair. "You Volturi gossip worse than a bunch of fishwives. If Jane ever hears about this stupid theory she is going to kill me for sure. As if being in a relationship with her brother wasn't reason enough."

This time it was Felix who gaped at me. "You and Alec are in a relationship now? When did that happen?" He grinned. "Did it happen in a bathroom by any chance?"

I started hitting him, but was distracted by another three vampires approaching us. Corin, Eleazar and Carmen. "Alright, what rumor did you three hear?" I asked them. "Did my alien abducted twin brother come back from the future after a gender reassignment and have sex with me in the bathroom?"

Corin, Eleazar and Carmen stared at me as if I had gone insane. I cleared my throat, more than a little embarrassed. "Ahem, judging from your somewhat puzzled expressions I guess you guys didn't hear any rumors."

Felix was laughing so hard by now, he was barely able to sit upright anymore. Eleazar gave him an amused look and then turned to me again. "Carmen and I just wanted to say goodbuy. We didn't really get a chance to talk during our short stay, and we wanted to invite you to come and visit us for a few weeks in Alaska. Garrett, a member of our coven, was friends with Makenna and Charles. I'm sure he would like to meet you."

I smiled at Eleazar and Carmen. I liked them, even though I didn't know them very well. But they seemed to be genuinely nice and compassionate people. "I would love to come for a visit. I'm afraid I will have to clear it with the Volturi first, though."

Eleazar nodded. "We know. Just tell them that we will look after you, so the exposure risk will be minimal." He gave me his address and telephone number, and after a hug from Carmen the three of them left again.

"Do you really want to visit them?" Felix asked me earnestly after they were gone.

I was surprised by his question. "Yes, of course. I've never been to Alaska and I like Eleazar and Carmen. I think it would be fun."

Felix looked at me quietly. "I don't think that Alec will let you go," he said finally.

I frowned at him. "Why wouldn't he? We are only talking about two weeks or so and Eleazar said that they will look after me. He even used to be on the guard himself."

Felix shook his head. "Ask Alec, but I don't think that you will like his answer."

**oooooooooooooooooooooo**

Felix and I spent the whole day in the patio garden, it was already dark when we went back inside. We were walking at a leisurely pace towards his room, when we encountered the person I had hoped to avoid for as long as possible: Jane.

Her face contorted when she saw me, and the next second the most unbearable pain I had ever felt racked my body. I had thought that the seering pain of my transformation had been bad, but this was even worse. It felt as if every single cell of my body was burning in white hot agony. I would go mad from it if it lasted much longer.

A small part of my brain that was still functioning heard Felix screaming 'run', and then the pain suddenly disappeared. I didn't waste any time looking what had happened and fled like a hunted deer. I could imagine what had happened anyway. Felix had without a doubt attacked Jane to stop her from torturing me. I only hoped that he wasn't getting tortured instead of me now. But Jane was probably more interested in chasing after me than hurting Felix. Which reminded me that I needed to think of something to throw her off my scent.

I ran out of the castle, looking frantically around. I almost dry sobbed in relief when I saw a gully cover nearby. I jumped down into the the sewer tunnel diving completely under the murky sludge whose level was at least four feet high. I swam as fast as I could through the maze of tunnels, changing my way every so often to follow no clear path. Finally I stopped and dragged myself out of the stinking muck into a little alcove on the side. I felt like a slimy, drowned rat and I definitely smelled like one. Miserable I comforted myself that the smell would at least keep Jane away. She couldn't possibly follow my scent through this stench, especially since I had stayed under the water the whole time. She would know that I went into the sewers, but down here she wouldn't be able to tell which way I had taken.

Now the only thing I could do was wait. Once Alec was back he would send out Demetri to find me, he was the only one that still could. Until then I would just have to be patient. Patience wasn't exactly my biggest virtue, but it beat getting tortured by light years.

I hated Volterra. On the plus side there were Felix, Corin, Heidi and well… Alec, but on the negative side there were Aro, Caius, Marcus and Jane, the deaths of my coven mates, torture and hiding in sewers. Right now the negative side won easily. I needed a break from this place. Visiting the Denalis sounded more and more tempting by the minute. It would also be perfect to get away from that miniature harpy, Jane, until she had her temper under control.

I would have to get Alec's approval first before going to Alaska for a few weeks, but despite Felix words I didn't think that that would be a problem. I failed to see why it could be. I knew that the relationship between the Denalis and the Volturi had been tense since the Renesmee debacle, but Eleazar and Carmen felt obviously comfortable enough with the Volturi to visit some old friends among the guards like Corin. Since I wasn't even a Volturi I was pretty sure that I would be safe in Alaska. There would also be no risk of exposure to humans with the Denalis looking after me. Alec didn't have any reasons to prevent me from going.

I spent hours thinking about my forced stay with the Volturi and dreaming about a few weeks of freedom with the Denalis. It was not until noon the next day when light ripples in the water to my feet alerted me to the approach of someone. I hid myself deeper in the small alcove, not willing to take any risks.

I relaxed when I heard Demetri's calm and neutral voice, telling me that Alec sent him. The walk back to the castle was quiet. I tried to apologize for the inconvenience I had caused for Demetri, but he didn't want to hear anything about it.

"You didn't have many choices about how to handle Jane with Alec away. You could only run away and hide or ask Aro for help. He is the only person besides her brother to whom Jane listens."

It hadn't even occurred to me to go to Aro for help. But it wouldn't have changed anything if I had thought of it. Confronted with a choice between Aro and the sewers I would take the sewers any day.

In the reception area of the Volturi castle a nervously pacing Alec was awaiting my return. The human receptionist looked scared to death, she probably had never seen Alec without his steely composure.

As soon as Alec saw me with Demetri he darted over to us, examining me from head to toe to make sure nothing was missing. "Are you alright?"

I snorted at his question. "You mean aside from the fact that I was tortured and had to hide in the sewers all night?"

Alec winced visibly. "I'm really sorry, Anna." His eyes narrowed and his full lips thinned into a straight line. "I had a little talk with my sister. She will not bother you again, but to make sure that she doesn't I will not take any assignments for the next few weeks. That should give her enough time to come to terms with our relationship."

"I have an even better idea," I retorted. "I will simply leave for a few weeks. The Denalis invited me for a visit."

Alec did not look pleased at all. "You don't have the self-control to stay somewhere unsupervised."

"Says the guy with the sister who completely lost it and attacked me last night out of sheer jealousy. And Eleazar said that the Denalis will look after me, by the way."

Alec's facial expression was unyielding. "No, I will not allow it. The risk is too high. Every time Heidi brings in the humans I ask you not to bite anyone until I allow you to, and you have never managed to hold back even once."

I was fuming by now. "The Denalis can make sure that nothing will happen. Eleazar even used to be a Volturi guard himself. I need a break from Volterra, Alec. My coven mates got killed here, I was tortured, had to hide in sewers, I'm just sick of this place."

Alec contemplated my reasoning for a short while. "I can understand that. Maybe we should go on a little vacation together, just the two of us."

I sighed. "Alec, you told me your version of a dream vacation, remember? A war zone is not really what I need right now."

To my surprise Alec embraced me despite my 'eau de sewer' and gave me a soft lingering kiss on my mouth. Apparently love did not only make blind but also killed your sense of smell. "We don't have to go to a war zone, we can even do your uninhabited island thing if you want to." His voice dropped a few degrees. "Or are you sick of me, too?"

I thawed out a little. "Alec, that's very sweet of you, but I really want to visit the Denalis. I like Eleazar and Carmen and one of their coven members was friends with Makenna and Charles. I'd like to meet him."

Alec's arms around me tightened. "You didn't answer my question about wanting to get away from me. I'm really sorry about what my sister did to you, I will even make her apologize if that's what it takes, but I won't let you run away to Alaska."

I stared into his burgundy eyes, flabbergasted. "Alec, I don't want Jane to apologize. That would only put me in the awkward situation to either accept her apology or look incredibly rude. But her torturing me is not something I can just forgive in passing as if she had only stepped accidently on my foot. And I'm not trying to run away to Alaska, I just want to visit some people there. Is all this really about me being too much of a liability without Volturi supervision or is this merely because you have a problem with me being away for a few weeks? Because if the latter is the case that would be ridiculous. What's a few weeks in the lives of two immortals?"

"This is only about the safety aspect, nothing else," Alec told me in a chilly manner. "Although I must admit that I find it rather strange that you are already talking about spending time away from me when we have only been in a relationship for a few days. I'm getting the impression that you are blaming me for my sister's behavior."

"I'm not blaming you for Jane's actions," I said softly. "Although I know that you wouldn't have acted any different in her situation. I just want to visit the Denalis. I would love to go on a vacation with you another time."

"I wouldn't have acted like my sister if our roles had been reversed. If she had found someone I would be jealous, but I wouldn't act on it, because her happiness would mean more to me than my jealousy," he said quietly. "And why not go with me on a vacation now and visit the Denalis later when your self-control is better?"

"My self-control is good enough for a visit in Alaska," I snapped back, feeling insulted.

Alec shook his head. "Do I have to remind you again of your lack of discipline whenever Heidi brings in the humans?"

I glared at him. "Fine. How about a little bet then. Heidi is supposed to bring in another catch of humans later today. If I manage to hold back until you tell me it's okay to feed you let me go to Alaska for two weeks. If I don't hold back we can go for two weeks to a place of your choosing."

Alec's expression brightened immediately. "Sure, why not." He put an arm around me and steered me out of the reception area. "We should get you cleaned up first, though." He grinned. "How about we take a shower together?"

I was slightly miffed at his sudden cheery mood. Someone sure was confident about winning this bet. "Sorry Alec, but torture and sewers didn't exactly put me in a romantic mood. I just want to get rid of the smell and then I need to thank Felix for his help. Without him I wouldn't have had a chance of escaping your sister. I'll see you later at feeding time."

Alec blatantly ignored my dismissal and continued walking me to the showers. We kept getting weird looks from the Volturi we met along the way, and I couldn't help but wonder what sorts of rumors this would start. Probably that we had some kind of strange sewer fetish, the new and improved version of mud wrestling.

At the showers I told Alec again that I would see him later and slammed the door in his face before he could react. Cursing inwardly I started to rid myself of the smell. Me and my big mouth. Alec had good reason to be confident about winning the bet. He knew as well as I did that I didn't have the self-control to hold myself back in a situation where everyone around me was feeding.

The only way to counter your bloodlust was to concentrate on something else hard enough. The only problem with that was that most vampires as young as me completely stopped thinking when they were confronted with spilled or otherwise easily available blood. I was no exception to that rule. I wanted to leave Volterra more than anything and to be able to do that I had to control my bloodlust. You couldn't get a better incentive than that. But as soon as the door closed behind the humans, sealing their fate, my brain completely shut down and I fed before I even knew what I was doing.

I had no chance of winning. You couldn't fight something you weren't consciously doing. Or could you?

I went rigid under the hot water. There was one other thing that had pretty much the same effect on me as blood. Maybe, if my brain had already shut down for another reason, the bloodlust wouldn't be able to take over.

The only question now was: How badly did I want to win this bet?

**ooooooooooooooooooooo**

**My life is a bit hectic at the moment, but I will try to update before next Friday.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing related to Twilight._

**Reviews:** Like always a big thanks to all those of you who put me on story alerts and/or under favorites. And of course a big thanks to my reviewers. I have now more than 100 reviews. I will do a little happy dance around my room now :-)

**Warning: The following chapter is not suited for T readers. If you are uncomfortable with mature themes, skip the middle part of the chapter.**

**oooooooooooooooooooooo**

**The Bet**

I spent the remaining time, till Heidi brought in another batch of humans, with Felix. I was glad to hear that he hadn't been tortured by Jane after I had managed to escape.

"But you should have seen the temper tantrum she threw once she realized that you had gotten away," Felix said chortling. "She destroyed a few rooms with some valuable antiques in them. Aro was very displeased."

I made a face. "Of course Aro would be displeased because of some furniture, never mind her torturing me."

Felix immediately sobered down. "Aro might not have cared, but Alec certainly did. I've never seen him so furious. He was so mad that even Jane seemed scared of him. I don't think that in all these hundreds of years Jane has ever been afraid of her brother before."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I changed the subject. The rest of our conversation was just small talk. I thought of telling Felix about the bet, but since there was a pretty good chance of me losing it, I didn't want to add to the number of people laughing at me afterwards.

Eventually, word reached us that Heidi was about to come back. Alec was already waiting in the room when Felix and I arrived. I still hadn't decided on what course of action to take. Basically I had the choice of humiliating myself in front of the entire Volturi guard or humiliating myself in front of Alec by losing this bet. Not really great choices. I looked around me. At least Jane wasn't here.

Heidi brought in the humans and the doors were closed. I looked again at Alec and saw him smirking at me. That decided it. Screw the other Volturi, who cared what they thought. There was no way that I was going to lose this bet.

I flung myself into Alec's arms with such force that he toppled over, with me landing on top of him. Before he could recover I rubbed my nose against his neck, breathing in deeply his scent. The humans around me ceased to matter. The other Volturi ceased to matter. Everything but Alec ceased to matter.

"Hmm," I murmured softly. "You smell like the night air after a rainy day." I laid my head on his chest, enveloped in his scent. "Nothing else smells as good to me."

I ran a hand through Alec's hair, not lifting my head. "Your hair is so soft, like threads of silk." I slowly let my hand glide over his forehead, his eyes, nose, cheekbones, like a blind person trying to see someone through touching. Which I practically was in this situation, since my face was still buried against Alec's chest. I traced the contours of his mouth.

"And you are beautiful," I said almost sighing. "Like an angel with burgundy eyes."

I moved a bit upwards and rested my face in the curve of his neck. "Every time I'm around you I have to force myself not to touch you. And it keeps getting harder instead of easier."

I was quiet for a while, happily snuggled up against him, my hand playing with his hair. My reverie was interrupted when someone tapped me on my back.

"The humans are all dead," Heidi told me quietly.

I jumped on my feet. Everyone but Heidi and Aro was gone. I glanced down at Alec, who still hadn't stirred, looking a bit disheveled and completely dazed.

Aro chuckled amused. "That is certainly an interesting way to control one's bloodlust. I don't think that I have ever seen someone use that technique before."

Alec stood up and took my hand. "Can't say that I've seen it before, either. If you would excuse us now," he nodded politely in Aro's and Heidi's direction and dragged me out of the room.

Back in his quarters Alec immediately took me in his arms and kissed me till I thought I might faint. We were both breathing heavily when he stopped.

"You cheated. You didn't hold back on your own," Alec accused me and grinned. "And what you used to hold yourself back wouldn't be with you in Alaska."

I frowned at him. "I didn't cheat. I held myself back by concentrating on something else. That's how you do it. The bet never said that I would have to use something that I can take with me to Alaska, only that I had to keep myself from feeding until you told me to. I won fair and square. Do we have to get an impartial observer?"

Alec held up his hands in defeat. "Alright, you won the bet." He walked over to his bed, pulling me with him. He looked into my eyes, his were still slightly dazed. "My scent is more appealing to you than blood."

It wasn't a question. I nodded anyway. The next second I was lying on the bed with Alec smiling down at me. "And now the entire guard knows that."

I was really glad I couldn't blush anymore. Alec saw my mortification.

"Don't be embarrassed. I don't mind them knowing that I am your mate. You shouldn't mind either, since you are mine."

I blinked slowly, certain I had misheard that. "Mate? Did you just say mate?"

Alec gave me a wary look. "Did you think my behavior around you is normal for me? And did you think that it's normal for you to be able to control your bloodlust with my scent? You lost it completely every time Heidi brought in the humans before. You can't control your vampire instincts in that situation yet. And those instincts tell you to feed in order to survive. They just override your brain. But the same instincts tell you that my scent is even more important than feeding, more important than surviving. What does that tell you?"

I shook my head vigorously. "Oh no. We are not mates. You might have a bit of a crush that causes you to behave differently around me, and I might feel a slight physical attraction towards you, but that's all. We. Are. Not. Mates!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Three days in a relationship and Alec thought that we were mates. Makenna and Charles had been mates. A mate bond between two vampires was extremely strong. It changed them irrevocably. There was never anyone else again for either vampire, and if one of them died, the other usually tried to follow. The Volturi leader Marcus was one of the exceptions and he was suffering every day for it. Truthfully, the thought of having a mate had always been a little frightening to me. A mate bond with someone like Alec was utterly horrifying.

Alec sighed. "Yes, we are. You are already mine, ask Marcus if you don't believe me and it's only a matter of time till I'm yours. It's inevitable. I wasn't sure before, but now I don't worry anymore. Your brain just has to catch up with your instincts."

I jumped out of the bed. "No, I just have to learn to control my instincts better, the same way I do with my bloodlust. We are not mates!"

I ran out of the room, almost colliding with Felix who came down the hallway.

"What's all the screaching about?"

I huffed. „Alec is being delusional. He thinks that we are mates."

Felix looked a bit uncomfortable. "Well, you are."

"No, we are not! If Alec was my mate I would certainly be the first to know it, and I'm saying he is not!"

Felix grinned at me. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks. I, for example, do not think that Alec looks like an angel with burgundy eyes. I also have no problems keeping my hands off him."

I groaned. So the others in the room had heard that. Maybe I should start thinking about hiding in some secret dungeon with a mask on my face. An old castle like this one ought to have something like that. "I'm not saying that I don't feel attracted to him, but that doesn't make him my mate."

"No," Felix said earnestly, "it doesn't. But the way you are reacting to his scent, even under the influence of bloodlust, kind of does."

This had to be some sort of conspiracy. I was not Alec's mate and he sure as hell wasn't mine. I fled to the roof before I gave in to temptation and throttled the next guard who used the word 'mate' around me.

**ooooooooooooooooooo**

It was the middle of the night, and I was still lying on the roof, when a big thunderstorm hit Volterra. I watched the bolts of lightning crackling in the sky, while the wind whipped rain into my face, and my ears were ringing from the deafening thunder. It was great. I felt as if all my worries were being washed away, and for the time being I was almost at peace with the world.

Another reverberating clap of thunder erupted and prevented me from hearing the attacking vampire. Before I knew what was happening he had me in an escape-proof grip, my head tilted to the side, his teeth at my throat. My mind was screaming in fear while waiting for my head to be ripped off my shoulders, but my body was reacting to the scent and didn't try to struggle. Alec.

He chuckled softly and kissed me on my neck. "If any other vampire had attacked you like that you would have fought back instinctively. Still convinced that I am not your mate?"

I tried to squirm out from under him. "You are not my mate! It's just some physical attraction, that's all."

Alec didn't losen his grip in the slightest and stared at me with eyes that were as black as the night surrounding us. "It's not just some physical attraction," he hissed. "We are mates. Stop being so stubborn and just accept the truth."

There was no talking with him when he was like that. I redoubled my efforts to get out from under him. "Get off me."

Alec was gone in a flash. I sat up and looked over to where he was standing. The rain had soaked his hair and clothing. The white shirt he was wearing was completely see-through by now. Hastily I looked up in Alec's face again. He held my gaze and slowly started to close in on me again. I just sat there as if hypnotized, watching every of his graceful, predatory movements.

Another thunderbolt lightened up the sky and blinded me momentarily. The next moment I felt Alec's lips against mine. I gasped and Alec deepened his kiss, his hands running over my breasts that were clearly outlined against my wet blouse. I moaned and he pushed me on my back, his mouth wandering where his hands had been. The thin wet fabric of my top offered no protection at all, I could feel everything. Every touch of his lips and every slow circle with his tongue. I felt like I was burning up from the inside. Then he started sucking. White hot desire raced through my body and I heard a sharp ripping sound. I had shredded his shirt.

Alec leaned back and took the remnants of his shirt off. I ran a hand over the marble perfection of his skin, glistening from raindrops. I licked some of them off, they tasted of his scent. Alec drew in his breath with a hiss and his mouth covered mine, hungry, possessive. I wrapped my legs around him and pressed my body against his. He groaned and started moving against me in a rhythm that even someone as inexperienced as me could easily identify. I matched his movements, shock waves running through me with each touch of our bodies, but still feeling somehow unsatisfied. This was not enough. I needed more. I grazed with my teeth the skin of his neck and let my hand wander down to his pants.

Alec grabbed my hand and pulled away from me. He leaned his forehead against mine, his breath ragged.

"Anna, if we continue this any longer I won't be able to keep point two of our agreement."

I was confused. What was he talking about? Alec raised his head when I didn't say anything and watched me through hooded eyes. "Do you want me to continue?" He asked huskily. He started to slowly unbutton my blouse and I understood. Point two: taking it slow. He was talking about having sex with me right now here on the roof. I stopped his hand and Alec took it to his mouth, giving each of my knuckles a light kiss. He looked into my eyes again, his gaze intense. "I can wait. For this and also for you to realize that I am your mate."

I stiffened. "We are not mates and we never will be mates. If you keep thinking that this might change some day, then maybe it would be better if we discontinued our relationship."

Alec's expression hardened and he chuckled darkly. "If I were you I wouldn't talk about ending our relationship. Because if you end it, then there's no reason for me to honor our agreement any longer." He slipped a hand under my already half opened blouse until it was right above one of my breasts, only a whisper away from touching it. "Are we still in a relationship?"

I fought against the urge to close the small distance between his hand and my body and nodded without speaking, afraid that my voice would betray me and break.

Alec smiled knowingly and withdrew his hand, but not without a featherlight touch that sent another jolt of electricity through my body. He laid down beside me and took my hand into his, our fingers intertwining. I was quiet for a while, trying to sort my thoughts. I certainly hadn't succeeded tonight in convincing Alec that we were not mates. Not that I had done such a great job of convincing. Telling him that we weren't and then ripping off his shirt a minute later would send a mixed message to anyone. I needed some distance between us, so that he could realize that his feelings for me weren't as deep as he thought. It was just physical attraction, he would see that once his emotions weren't clouded by my presence anymore.

"So, about Alaska," I said tentatively.

Alec's grip on my hand tightened to the point where it almost hurt. "Why do you have to bring that up now? Eager to get away from me again?"

I couldn't really say no in answer to his question, so I decided to give him one of the other reasons I wanted to get away. "You said that my reaction towards your scent during the feeding shows that you are my mate. Would other vampires see that the same way?"

Alec propped himself up on one elbow and looked at me, his expression serious, almost cold. "Yes, they would. Why are you asking?"

"So if Jane heard about it…," I trailed off. No need to explain it any further.

Some of the coldness in Alec's expression seeped away. "You don't have to be scared of my sister. I think most vampires are more scared of her than they are of me, but the truth is that I'm the stronger one of us. I can and I will protect you from her."

I huffed exasperated. "I don't want you to fight with your own sister because of me. I won the bet, which means you have to let me go to Alaska at some point anyway, so what better time is there than now?"

Alec's gaze turned thoughtful. "You do have a point. Giving Jane some time might be good." He smiled suddenly. "And the sooner you start your vacation, the sooner you will be back with me again."

**ooooooooooooooooooooo**

Once Alec had decided that there was no sense in trying to delay my departure, everything went very fast. It was only a few days later that I was standing at the front door of the Denali's house in Alaska with Alec right next to me. He had acted as a chaperone on my flight to Alaska, but he would return to Italy as soon as I was safe with my new hosts. We were still in a relationship, but nothing serious had happened between us since the night on the roof. Alec was giving me time to think, and I was very grateful for that. His mood, however, had soured a little more with each passing day. He was not happy at all about my continuing and obvious relief that he was keeping his distance.

Right now the scowl on Alec's face let Eleazar back away a step when he opened the door to greet us. Introductions were hastily made, Alec's frosty demeanor didn't really call for a hearty welcome. Besides Eleazar and Carmen, who I already knew, the Denali coven consisted of Kate and her mate Garrett and another female vampire named Tanya.

Alec bade them all to into their living room, because he apparently needed to make some announcements before he left. Once everyone was sitting around a huge table he started talking.

"There are three things that have to be clear to every one of you before I can leave. Please don't interrupt me before I have finished speaking." He looked at me after that last part. I nodded for him to continue.

"First: Anna is not in complete control of her bloodlust yet. Because of that she has broken the Volturi's laws before, and there is a good chance that it might happen again if you are not very careful with her. If she does break the laws someone will have to pay for it or the Volturi will look weak. But since there is no way that I will ever let anything happen to her, I hereby declare all of you to be responsible for her actions while she is staying with you. In short: She screws up and you others will die for it."

I wasn't sure, who was looking more aghast by now, me or the Denalis. Alec carried on with his little speech without reacting to our shocked expressions.

"Second: If anything happens to Anna while she is staying with you, each of your lives will be forfeit, too. But in this case I will kill each and every one of you personally, and I will make sure that every death will be as long and painful as possible. I don't care whose fault it was, even if it was her own. She gets hurt and you will all die the worst deaths imaginable."

Alec actually smiled a little before his next words, but it wasn't a nice smile. "Third: Anna is my mate. If anyone else touches her, I will kill him and I will take my time. Since you Denalis value life so much, make sure that no one takes any liberties with her."

Alec leaned back and folded his arms in front of his chest. "Now that you've been made aware of the risks of letting Anna stay with you, if you decide to rescind your invitation, no one will think less of you. Anna and I can leave right now."

That was it. I was so mad I could barely think clearly anymore. "Have you completely lost your mind, Alec? What kind of asinine rules are those? Take them back!"

Alec shook his head at me. "I most certainly will not take them back. This is how it's going to be, and they needed to be made aware of the risks."

"And you couldn't have told them that before we flew all the way out here?" I almost screamed.

Alec shrugged. "I wanted them to see my face to make sure that they know how serious I am."

"You made me sound like some sort of nuclear bomb, only waiting to explode in their faces. The one time I screwed up was a fluke and you know it! And rule number two is even more ridiculous. I'm a vampire, what could possibly happen to me?"

Alec raised one eyebrow at me. "The last time I let you alone for ten minutes you got attacked by two vampires trying to rape you."

I was seething. "That was also a fluke, as you very well know. And by the way, stop telling people that I'm your mate. We may be in a relationship, but we are _not_ mates."

The Denalis watched our exchange with wary expressions on their faces. Garrett was the first to speak. "I can't speak for the rest of the coven, but I think that Anna is right. The risk we put ourselves under by letting her stay is minimal." Slowly the other Denalis nodded their agreement.

Alec's expression turned into his typical calm mask. "Fine. It is your decision." He turned to me. "I have a few things for you."

He gave me a credit card and a handy. "All the numbers of the members of the guard are already programmed in. Call me once you are not mad at me anymore." He took a deep breath and gave me one other thing, a little wrapped present. "This is something to remind you of me." He pulled me into his arms and kissed me almost desperately. Even though I was furious with him I couldn't help but return the kiss. Eventually Alec broke our passionate embrace and sighed. "I love you." With that he turned around and left without waiting for a response or giving another look to the other vampires in the room.

I glanced at the stunned faces surrounding me and didn't know what to say. Alec's words were even more shocking after he had threatened every one else in the room with horrible deaths. Such were the wonders of being in a relationship with Alec.

Tanya was the first to speak. "Well, that was certainly interesting. What's in the package?"

I unwrapped the present and a delicate stone butterfly emerged. The light shone through its wings and made them shimmer in a multitude of colors. It was beautiful.

"It's very pretty, but why would a butterfly remind you of Alec? That's not exactly what comes to my mind when I think of him," Tanya commented dryly.

"Because butterflies feel drawn to me," I answered without thinking. I was still dazed from Alec's declaration of love.

Tanya exchanged a look with the others. "Aha, well, like I said, it's pretty. I wonder where he got it and if they have more of them."

I stared at the butterfly. "He didn't buy it. He made it himself. Sculpting is one of his hobbies."

No one said anything after that. Finally it was Carmen who spoke. "This was a somewhat rocky start, but nevertheless: Welcome to Alaska, Anna."

I smiled. Yes, welcome to Alaska.

**oooooooooooooooooooooo**

**I just found out that my boyfriend is cheating on me, the worthless piece of shit. I'm not feeling especially humorous or romantic right now, so it might take a while till I start writing again. Sorry.**


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